The Ascension War II
by AutumnStarr
Summary: Takes place ten months after the events in Episode I Ascension, New allies are descovered, and new friendships are forged. But can the ties that bind the family, withstand a heatless enemy? Crosses over into BSG, Die Hard, and Fuller Brush Man
1. I Mission to the Underdark

_**What has gone on before...**_

_Within minutes of a mission to Belkan, Teyla was taken prisoner by the Wraith in attempt to turn her fully into a Wraith on a Hive Ship, the plan however ended badly and Teyla Ascened, After one night of being 'dead' Teyla was granted a request to return to John, her husband._

_Within days of returning the team had gone to the Ori galaxy, wherein Teyla was put to the test, and had fought a Wraith Hive Queen, Teyla then also killed a Ascended Ori as well, on the way home from the fight in the Ori Galaxy Teyla was gassed, but managed to prevent herself from dying in the thick fog while on the Daedalus._

_Within minutes of getting home Teyla was told she was with child, not ten minutes later she gave birth. The child, a female, was taken up to the Ascended Plane to be cared for and rasied in safety by Morgan Le Fey and Red Skelton, a recently Ascended man that lived on Earth._

_Teyla then flew Atlantis to Earth, where she was taken captive after having a very strange dream, within mere seconds of being reunited with John Teyla had yet a last mission to do for Earth, one that Red Spoke about, the End of the Ori. Teyla managed to kill the Orici Adra in a fight onboard a Ori Mothership that was tied with Adras lifeforce, which soon destoryed itself after its link to Adra was broken._

_Now Teyla and John are back in Pegasus, and Atlantis is back on the sea of Lantia, It has now been ten months since those events, and Teyla first time on Earth. And a new mission is starting..._

_**Continued from Book One: Ascension**_

_**And now... Book Two**_

"What planet are we going to?" Teyla asked as Rodney joined them, somehow John being wanting to go on a mission to a planet that nonoe, _not even her,_ knew about.

"In the database it is called Servie, why that name I don't know, other then the place is under ground makes me think Genii" Rodney said.

"Poissble, thankfully Dr. Weir was able to get the people over there to allow us throu to see the place, after hearing that there was human over there, one that looks like Teyla and me." John smirked, "Yeah I know Rodney, how can some one look like the two of us? well, think a minute, this planet might be where Kiro is staying at."

"Kiro?" came Rodneys perplexed sounding voice through the food he was eating, "Why'd you name your kid that? Or did you not have any say in the naming part of things?"

"Most likely the latter, Rodney, now, lets get to the Briefing shall we?" John said as the three arrived in the briefing room, Weir was there along with Carson. "You wanted to see us?" John asked as he took his normal seat, and Teyla right next to him.

"Yes, Ronon as you know went to his homeworld, apparently something is going on and he was needed, meaning that you three with be one less team member on this mission, which will hopefully being us someone that you both had seen before?" Weir said, the last part as a statement then a question.

"Yeah, I asked Red last time we saw him if we'd be able to see Kiro anytime soon, that was ten months ago, so Red said that we could see her but only in our dreams" John said.

"Red spoke of being able to let Kiro see us in person after a time of ten months had passed, I think this may be the time, as I have seen her less and less the past few nights" Teyla spoke up.

"So you think this planet could be where your daughter is staying? Might be why we found out about the place now." Rodney said from under his breakfast.

"It's possible" John spoke up thoughtfully, "though the fact that the MALP was all but sent back to us in one piece might mean something does not want us going to the place."

"It is also possible that the MALP was sent back with a few beatings to it to show that we are to leave the planet alone?" Weir said thoughtfully, knowing that as she spoke those words was a bad idea.

Teyla shook her head, "No, we must go to this planet, if our child is there then they will let at least John and myself go to her. And hopefully bring her back here with us as well."

"Fine, You two may go to the planet and see if you can find your daughter, when you do contact me" Weir said, "You leave in ten minutes" Weir then got up and left the briefing room along with Rodney, leaving Teyla and John in the room as the last to leave.

"Well, I guess you and I go to see who the nighbors are." John said getting up.

"Let us hope that Kiro will want to come back here with us, i fear that she may not know us, or remember us from the dreams we had of her." Teyla said getting up and heading out in front of John, Rodney started up the gate for the pair, and they left to go to the planet.

Before heading to the planet John said, "Here's hoping we come home alive" then he and Teyla went throu the 'gate.

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Upon stepping out of the 'gate the first thing John noticed was that it was dark, and damp, and very warm. "Well, looks like all I can see is just nothing but dar---whoah!!" THUNK thud, John took a wrong step in the dark and fell of the platrom the Stargate was on. "I missed a step I think, Teyla don't make a move or you'll fall on...OW" John was cutoff as Teyla took the same step as John and landed smackdab ontop of him.

"Well, looks like we are... here" Teyla said her P90 between her and John, pressing into Johns back, she got up slowly and turned on her small light, the Stargate was on a platform just over her head, and from the looks of things there was a stairway going up to it, made of black dirt.

John got to his feet with a groan, "Sometimes, in places like these, P90s are both good and a pain, good because we can defend ourselves and bad because they are a pain in the ass when one gets to fal ontop of one from a good hight." he complained, all of a sudden reminding Teyla of Rodney.

"We seem to be alone here, though I can see footprints, leading that way." Teyla said pointing her light down a tunnel.

"Great, maybe Kiro is that way." John said leading the way now the well used tunnel, "Somehow this place reminds me of the Genii Homeworld." John said, "I guess just the place being underground is what does it."

"I thought of that too, but we have yet to, wha?!" Teyla and John found themselves in a pit, This time John was ontop of Teyla, "I think I know what you mean by the weapons being a pain in the mitka"

John got to his feet, "Well, seems like this was a planned drop, there's a stairway over there" He pointed to a set of stairs in the wall. "looks like we go... thataway" he pointed down a tunnel going to the right, then the pair headed that way.

Unknown to them a pair of rather odd looking men watched John and Teyla head for the main plaza of the under ground city, moving fast through side tunnels around the pair one of the 'men' stepped into the light of Johns gun, he looked like a Wraith but then he wasn't. he had jet black skin, and stark white hair and carried what looked like a small crossbow in one hand. "Halt. State your names and business in the Underdark."

"uh... I uh..." John was at a loss for words at seeing the dark skinned being, Thankfully Teyla came the rescue.

"We are the parents of the one called Kiro, we heard that she was here."

The white haired man looked first to Teyla then to John, "Follow me." he then turned and started down the tunnel, "you need not fear. Nor need the light you have brought, for we are near the Plaza where your child was brought to us."

"Kiro was brought here? how long has this been since she was... brought to you?" Teyla asked as she and John were led down a now well lit tunnel by the white haired man.

"It is better to say found, she was moreso caught by a guard of the High Court while she was trying to get some food, and since we had a law against stealing of food and drink without pay, the Elders aggreed to let her stay here when the Ancestors arrived and ordered us to safeguard her until her mother and father arrived."

"You know of the Ancients?" John asked as he looked around the tunnel, he saw more of the people, each had the same white hair as the man leading him and Teyla to whereever Kiro was. He saw infants, as well as children, along with adults and teens, some had full regal looking armor on, others had next to nothing, yet all of them had the same dark skin, and white hair.

"Safeguard her? Why?" Teyla asked focused more on the man leading them then looking around. "There are others trying to find her?" The mere thought of the Wraith or the Ori (which had fled after the death of Adra) were searching for Kiro scared Teyla to the bone.

"No, more like, keep her here until her parents arrived, which meant safeguarding here against the monsters of the tunnels and caverns" the man replied, the three entered the Plaza, and drew many eyes their way as John and Teyla were most likely the first humans on the planet.

The white haired man paid the onlookers no heed as he approached a building, regal looking by the color and the way the towers wrose up into the cavern roof far above. The man knocked twice and the door opened, he ushered Teyla and John into the building.

A voice called from behind a curtained doorway, "who calls?" it was clearly young and a female that spoke the question.

"Outsiders, they claim to be the mother and father of Kiro." the man replied.

"Kiro?" came the confused answer, a dark skinned woman stepped out into the room from the curtained door, she had the same armor as the man that led the two Atlanteans to the place. "And these are them?" The woman was decked out in twice as much armor as the man but it was clear to see that the pair were husband and wife.

"Yes, these two claim to be her parents." the man said, "shall I bring her here?"

"Yes, be quick however." the woman replied giving John and Teyla a look that said clearly 'sit down and don't touch anything'. The pair sat at the table as the man left to get Kiro. The woman waited until John and Teyla had sat before asking them, "would you like a drink while you wait for your daughter to arive?"

"I don't see why not" John said a smile on his face, "if I may ask, why was Kiro brought here of all places?"

"Kiro was brought here because we looked most like her, though she is more like you in skin color and adittude" the woman replied, "the Ancestor Morgan ordered my husband and I to watch over Kiro until you arrived, that was ten and seven years ago on our world."

"Whoah, wait a second, did you just say that seventeen years ago Kiro came to you guys?" John asked confused, "if that is true, how long have, Teyla and I been here already?"

"You came through the Ring, therefore you have only been here one full day now, from the Ring to the City is a half day walk." The woman replied.

"Would it be possible to let those back home where we came from know that we are gonna be a while or ... what?" John asked

"Time will not pass as fast on your homeowlrd, how long is a single day?"

"38 hours long, give or take a few minutes." John responded.

"And you left your world?"

"Just after the morning meal" Teyla interjected.

"Then at this time would be nearing lunch on your homeworld whereas we are nearing full dark on the surface."

"Well that is one thing that has been confusing me a bit, you see, when you say surface, what do you mean, this place is underground. Why is that?" John asked.

"The surface is, to the Wraith, nothing more then a dead tree co vered world, therefore they use it as their based, some say the surface was the birthplace of the foul Race" came the response as the whitre haired woman set two cups on the table filled with a clear gray luqid

"This is not gonna kill us is it?" John asked looking at the stuff in the cup, then looking up and seeing the look from Teyla, "just checking."

Teyla tasted it, "This tastes like something that my father knew how to make, are you sure your people were living here and not on Athos? How are you able to make something my father only knew to make?" It confused her, the onlydrink that she knew of and liked that was made by her father was also being made on another world.

"You will have to ask your daughter, for it was her that told me how to make it." came the reply.

Teyla just nodded and took the explination as it were.

The door then opened a few minutes later and the man returned followed by a second woman, who also had white hair, Teyla and John stared at the girl, she was fully grown, and had darkly tanned skin and stark white hair and Johns eyes, along with Teylas face.

The woman made no move from the doorway as she stared, slack jawed at her parents, she stood rooted to the spot.

Teyla made the first move, getting up from the table as she spoke "Kiro?"

"Mom." Kiro looked at Teyla, then dashed forwards and took Teyla into a hug, almost knocking her mother to the ground. "I missed you"

"Well this is a-- Whoah!" John started to say when Kiro let go of Teyla and took him into a hug, John though not thinking of anything better to do took Kiro into a hug as well, He then pulled away and held Kiro at arms length, "Well, Red said we'd see you in ten months, only you could say we were thinking of someone more of a small child." He smiled.

"Well, I'm your child, there is no denying that father." Kiro responded, her voice was like Teylas but sounded more like a harp. "Red told me to come here after the last time we saw each other a few nights ago, he and Morgan are nice only there was too many rules to follow, at least I was able to be with you while you slept."

John laughed "Red said you were a rebel." he took in what Kiro was wearing right then, the spidery like armor that everyone else in the place was wearing, only hers was more like Teylas sparring outfit. Which most likely ment that she was a combat weary soldier by the time John and Teyla got to the place.

Kiro laughed, "I guess that is why they wanted me back with you again."

"Most possibly so Kiro" Teyla said standing up from the table and taking her child into a hug, "when I saw you less and less I was starting to worry that the Ancestors had gone back on their word for us to see you."

"Well Red told me to come to this planet for you to find me, so I guess we'll be together more often now." Kiro said after pulling out of Teylas hug, she was almost the same hight as Teyla, though a little shorter, and seemed wiser and more battleharded then Teyla herself.

"I believe so" Teyla said.

"Well, when did you arrive? Did Arvinia or Mathias offer food and drink, along with beding? Or did you come from Atlantis?" Kiro asked, speaking to Teyla in the Athosian tunge. When she heard the answer Kiro turned to the owners of the house, _"When did they arrive?"_ she asked in the lahnguage of the Underdark

_"Not more then ten minutes before I went to get you to see them"_ Mathias answered.

_"They came throu the Ring?"_

_"Yes"_

Kiro turned back to her parents, "forgive me, it appears that food will take a few moments longer to get ready."

"It OK, nothing to worry over" John said before getting a hand over his mouth by Teyla.

"It is fine, I think that during the preperation for the meal we can, find out about your upbringing." Teyla said holding her hand over Johns mouth as she spoke.

"That is good then, while Arvinia makes the evening meal I can show you around the city, after all the Plaza is just a small part of the place." Kiro said looking towards the two white haired people near the cooking area. The woman nodded and the man then left.


	2. II Meeting Kiro

Kiro led the way out of the house, as she did so both Teyla and John saw less people outside in the Plaza then when they arrived., _most likely eating or making dinner._ John thought as Kiro led the way down a path that over looked the city.

When he saw the place in full John let out a wistle, "that looks like..."

"... Atlantis? Did we not just come from there?" Teyla asked looking to John, the pair traded a look then looked to Kiro.

"What? You huys know your way around already?" Kiro asked.

"Well, we did come from a place that looks like this, tell you the truth I wonderif this place has a con..." John was cut off when Kiro picked up what he said.

"You mean the chair? the one that is used for defensive use only? Tales were told of the city once flying, though I was unsure if such things." Kiro said, then seeing the looks on her parents face she asked, "it is true is it not? The city can fly?"

John nodded, "yup, and your mom flew it, only not this city, I don't think this one would want to go anywhere."

Teyla spoke up before Kiro could send a retort Johns way, "how old are you? Like John said we were expecting a young child, not a fully grown woman such as yourself."

"Mother, you had me ten months ago, right afterwards Morgan Le Fay took me to the Ascended Plane, there I aged to the ages of a young teen to fathers people's terms, on Earth I would be near the age of fourteen" Kiro said.

Teyla smiled, "you are near the age of Jinto, Hallings son."

"Which is actually kinda confusing, Teyla, when you Ascended how long were you in the Ascended Plane?" John asked, a thought coming to his mind like a bullettrain.

"Well, from the time I left you to the time I entered your dream was three days, then from the time I left you in your dream again another two days passed before I returned on the Hive Ship." Teyla said, the family had stopped at a table to sit and talk over things past.

"So time passes faster in the Ascended Plane? So if you were gone for five days is total, that was only thirty-eight hours, from when you died to when I found you on that Hive." John said, he sat down on a chair, it was clear he was confused.

"When I left you and Ascended, it was three days while Ascended until I could go to you in your dream, then two more days passed before you found me and I returned to you." Teyla explained. She'd keep the dream she had from Kiro, knowing that the child might already know of it.

"OK I'm stumped now, That wouldf make you way older then us" John said turning to Kiro, "If five days pass for every one day on Atlantis..."

"The Ancestors are very good at keeping tack of time, somehow they sped up my aging proccess they taught me a lot of things, some things I still am confused about." Kiro said, "who is Adra?"

"Uh... uh... Adra uh..." John stuttered over how to tell Kiro that Teyla killed the Orici, he looked to his wife.

"Adra is dead." Teyla said calmly, John breathed a sigh of relife as Teyla spoke. "She came to Earth ten months ago, she and I fought, she died, and Earth is free now."

"You fought the Orici? And lived? So now what? Red gave you a mission to see through and you did, now what?" Kiro asked.

"Well, your mom fought Adra and just barely walked away with her life." John told Kiro, he explained the whole thing of Teyla and Adra fighting, then him and Ronon going for Teyla. "again Adra is stone dead now, and your mom is to be thanked for that."

"Indeed." Kiro said as Teyla nodded, she had been in the Infirmary for two months since that event.

"So, enough about the past and what is this place?" John asked looking around.

"This is the Underdark, where the Ancestors had allies against the Wraith, this is also the Wraith homeworld, there were stories of a Ring in space near this planet, I've never seen the surface." Kiro said.

"Underdark sounds a lot like a game type I heard of back on Earth, but then this is Pegasus, so I guess D&D is out the window" John said remembering a game setting for the world famous role playing game system, then he thought something different, "How many battles have you seen, i mean, think about it, you have on just enough armor, if that is what it is, to keep certain parts of your body safe... I'm not gonna ask if Red had been in your moms closet" John smiled then said "I mean, the way your... armor is made, looks alot like your moms sparring clothes." John was then kicked in the leg by Teyla. "Which is very nice looking by the way." he spoke fast as to avoid making Teyla mad enough to slap him, or possibly shoot him.

"Everyone has at least some armor on, even if only a small ammount" Kiro said.

"Well, I think youi are most likely wearing the smallest ammount." John said leaning back in his chair, and promtly hitting the ground as Teyla snaked a foot around one of the legs and pulled, "what did I do?" John asked from the ground just as mass panic broke out, "that can't be good" He got to his feet and had to turn the table onto its side as Wraith opened fire. "We have incoming!" he yelled getting behind the makeshift bunker.

"I wonder what they want?" Kiro said leaning against the table as stunner blasts het the ground around them, along with hitting the table.

"I think the question should be who they want, not what" John said firing at a group of Wraith that fell from his shots.

"I agree" Teyla said.

The Wraith headed for the house where Kiro had been staying, only to get shot in the facess as crossbow bolts shot out of every window and door, Kir ostood up and took aim with a very small crossbow.

"Kiro what are you doing? Nevermind" John asked, then he slammed his last full clip into his P90 and fired again. He watched as Kiro fired, the bolt from the vey small crossbow impacted with such speed it knocked the Wraith onto the ground, stone dead. "good aim." John commented

"I think we should leave now." Teyla said as the Wraith turned and headed their way, Kiro fired her last shot, and said, "this way." She took off for a tunnel, John and Teyla right behind. Kiro was fast, which made it kind of hard for John and Teyla to keep up.

Teyla screamed something when a stunner blast passed her and hit Kiro right between the shoulderblades, knocking to to the ground, what she screamed John figured was something between their daughters name and a battlecry. John ran forwards and scooped up Kiro, just as he was hit from behind, he tried to fall so Kiro would be ontop of him only he ended up ontop of both Kiro and Teyla as Teyla made the mistake of turning around to charge at the Wraith.

Everything went black as Teyla watched the fight betwen the Underdark dwellers and the Wraith from the surface, she felt herself get grabbed by a Wraith, she could niether move nor speak.

A few hours later she felt a hand on her, opening her eyes she looked around, she was in a cell on a Hive again, only Kiro was right next to her. John was nowhere to be seen. "Kiro?"

Kiro smiled, "how are you feeling?"

"I feel sick." Teyla said slowly sitting up, "Where are we?"

"On a Hive, where else would we be?" Kiro said, she had dropped her weapon when she ran out of bolts, but then she did have a few to spare.

"Where is... your father?" Teyla asked looking around the cell.

"He was gone before I woke, I had been up now for more then a hour before you were dragged in." Kiro said.

Teyla felt over herself, she didn't feel older, nor did she sound older. "Who dragged me in here?"

"I am unsure mother, I know only that a Wraith with short hair brought you here, then left, he hit me in the head before opening the door to drop you in here." Kiro said getting up to look outside the cell.

"Wraith with short hair, you mean Michael brought me here? Did he say anything of me being fed from?" Teyla asked looking to her daughter, in the dimm light of the cell and the hallway outside Kiro looked like one of the Underdark Dwellers, only Teyla knew they had to have a name for their race, "What does those that dwell in the Underdark call themselves?"

"Well, the Wraith have many names for them. Darro, Dark Wraith, though they themselves call themselve Drow, I donnot know what it means." Kiro then smiled as she looked to Teyla, "As father would say, what a way to meet me."

Teyla smiled and just hugged Kiro. Now she only wanted one more person and she'd be happy, only he was not there. Where was John?


	3. III Missing,,, and Searching

John slowly woke up, _where the hell am I?_ he wondered as he heard a beeping noise before opening his eyes, looking around the first thing he noticed was the I.V. Drip in his arm, _what the hell?_ he wondered, finding he was unable to move and that he actually did not want to do so because he was as naked as a jaybird under the sheet, _OK John think this through, why are you naked? Possibly the Wraith are doing something and they need you to be so? No that wont work, I don't see any Wraith around, hell I'm not even in a Hive Ship of all things! OK you are on a Hive Ship_ John thought seeing a black haired Wraith enter, it was a female. only she seemed to be doing something with Johns I.V. Drip.

John only watched, not trying to move. _That's right John, make yourself look like you are still asleep. the Doc wont notice a thing, the Doc noticed!_ John thought sensing the Wraith female going to his IV Drip and checking the thing. John thought faking sleep wouldn't work so he faked waking up. "Where am I?"

The Wraith didn't say anything, other then muttering to itself as it left John alone.

_OK that didn't work now what?_ John thought. _Teyla where the hell are you Babe??_

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On Atlantis Weir was pacing, "will you stop that?" Rodney asked looking up from his game of poker with the database, "You are making me nervous."

"Sorry, it had been a while, do you think they found their daughter yet?" Weir asked standing near Rodney's computer, only so Rodney could see her by looking up, "or maybe..."

"They went through that half an hour ago." Rodney said, "if there was any trouble they'd radio for backup. Which I highly doubt because these people only allowed them to go there."

"It is also possible that whomever the people on the other side are only wanted them to go is because Sheppard has the Gene and Teyla has her own Gene." Weir said.

"So what do you want me to do? Go after them? If I did that I'd most likely get shot down coming back here" Rodney said as he finished his game. So far he was getting good at poker.

"Well, not only you, perhaps if you took Lorne and Ronon with you?" Weir said.

"Yeah sure the Larry, Moe and Shemp, ready to take on the Wraith" Rodney gave Weir a 'you have to be kidding me' look only the look he got back made him ask, "You want the Three Stooges to go then I take it?" Weir nodded, Rodney sighed. "OK The Three Stooges have left the City" Rodney closed his laptop and stood up, "Someone get me a tac vest."

Ronon showed up in the control room, "you called?" he asked Weir and Rodney.

"Yes yes we did, only Sheppard and Teyla have... wait a minute, when did you get back?"

"... only been gone for a half hour now, so we are going in as backup to see if they made it o the place where their kid is at?" Ronon looked to Rodney, "got back ten minutes and Sheppard and Teyla left. Why?"

"Oh well, just wondered, where's Lorne?" Rodney asked as he was given a vest and a P90.

"Here" came the answer as a Jumper lowered out of the bay above "REady to go when you are"

"Great lets go, you know the rules" then Rodney and Ronon joined Lorne in the jumper, and headed through the stargate.

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Teyla started pacing in her and Kiros cell, she had been awake for more then an hour and no sign of John. "We have to get out of here." Teyla said going to the cell door.

"That is easy to say mother, how do we get out? there is... mom? What are you doing?" Kiro started to say that there was no way out when Teyla found the controls to the door.

"You have a knife on you do you not?" Teyla asked after finding the place to cut into the door controls to open the cell so they could get out. Kiro then knew what her mother was thinking, get out, find her father, and go back home soon as possible before anything else happened. Kiro thought a few seconds before nodding, she had a knife, after all Drow rarely went around weaponless.

Teyla held a hand back to Kiro and Kiro set a rather oddly curved knife in her hand, handle first. without thinking much of the shape of the knife Teyla began cuting their way out, Kiro watched and listened for Wraith as Teyla cut a cord and the cell door opened, looking to the knife then back to Kiro Teyla asked "Where did you have this?"

"You'd be amazed as to where we keep some weapons" Kiro smiled as she drew a second knife, both blades were made the same and looked as if they were part of her waist belt. Teyla was not going to ask where the other knives were if Kiro had more then the two.

"Come on" Teyla then led the way and the pair of them left the cell. looking for John.

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After thinking over what to do John tried to move, only he couldn't, _OK, I'm strapped down so... oh boy, not good, Teyla's gonna hate this._ John thought after finding out he was naked under a bedsheet strapped down for who knew how long with a IV Drip in his arm. He looked around, _Not many weapons around here, nothing to get free with. Now, where is, oh there are my clothes, nice of them to leave them nearby. only I can't GET to them!_ John stared at the ceiling, _Where are you Teyla?_

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Coming to a T in the hallways of the Hive Teyla looked first to the left, then the right, not knowing where to go. "Why are we stopping?" Kiro asked. They had found Teylas vest, but that was it. "I think we should run."

"Why?" Teyla asked looked around them again. Only never looking UP.

"Beacuse of that!" Kiro shouted as a Wraith Keeper dropped from the ceiling. Teyla aimed her weapon, the only wapon she had, a 9mm with a limimted number of bullets she had to do something. Moving fast Teyla grabbed the Keeper and held the gun to its throat, "Where is my husband?"

"Who?" Came the answer.

"Where is the one called Sheppard?" The gun pressed into the soft neck of the Wraith Keeper. "where is my husband?" Kiro backed up, somehow Teyla was not going by the 'Motherly Love' rulebook. Only Kiro wished she hadn't moved as the Keeper grabbed Teylas gunhand and twisted it. Teyla screamed as her armed was twisted around behind her and the gun was force into her neck. making her go silent within a nanosecond of the ice cold metal pressing against her skin.

"Who was that you were looking for?" the Keeper asked in a mirthful voice, then the Keeper screamed as Kiro grabbed it from behind and started to wrestle with it, her knife going between the two in such a way that it would strike either of them if Kiro was not careful.

Teyla watched, unsure of what to do, Kiro was strong and fast that was clear, but the Wraith must have just fed as whatever wounds were inflicted healed. without thinking Teyla turned away as the strangled grunts of a Wraith losing air came from the Keeper, then, slience.

Other then Kiros heavy breathing as she let go of the dead Wraith, giving a shove to the now dead Wraith Keeper Kiro looked to her mother, "Are you OK mom?"

"I am fine, let's find your father." With that the pair took off.

John lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling, _'well if they had ceiling tiles I'd have something to do'_ he thought seeing the sliming green stuff with bits of light flashing by. _I wonder how they made these ships?_ John heard screaming, and running feet and turned his head just in time to see two people go running past, _Teyla? Kiro? Hey!_ John yelled after the pair, "Hey! I'm in here! You passed me!"

Teyla slammed on the brakes and Kiro crashed int oher, thankfully they pair didn't fall. Turning fast on her feet Teyla called out, "John?"

"In here!"

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As Teyla and KIro neared where John was, Lorne and Rodney and Ronon were having less of a result then those up in the Hive Ship far above. "are you sure Dr. Weir wanted us to go as the Three Stooges on this?" Lorne asked for the (to McKay) trillionth time.

"Yes fact being that I know Ronon here never heard of them you have so we will have to make do with Moe and Shemp and no Larry." Rodney said as Lorne parked the jumper near were the fight happened, opening the ramp Rodney stared out at those waiting at what seemed like a house. "Well it seems those are the people we want to see." he said getting out of the Jumper and heading towards the person he thought was a male, only because of the armor he thought Arivina was a male.

Seeing Rodney head towards her home Arivina opened the door and headed back inside, and waited for the three Humans to enter. Somehow she had not the heart to ttell the three men what happened to their friends, if they were whom they were after.

Seeing Arivina enter the house Rodney started forwards only to be stopped by Lorne, "hey Sheppard might be in there" Rodney said, then he saw Lornes look, "... or it could be a trap, after you." Lorne led the way into the house, and saw only Arivina by herself, her weapons were on the table. A very small crossbow, and a pair of longswords with velvet hilts.

"You seek someone?" Arivina asked, looking over the three men.

"Yes actually three people, perhaps you have seen them?" Lorne asked lowering his weapon, Rodney had never raised his But Ronon had his sword in hand and headed for the table, he picked up the blade and started to compair the differenaces between his own blade and that of a Drow.

"You seek Kiro and her mother and father." Arivina said turning back to what looked like a huge fireplace, there was a good sized roast cooking on it. What she had said was more of a statement then a question.

"You mean you saw Col Sheppard and Teyla?" Rodney asked before Lorne gave him a 'shut up' look. Arivina didn't notic the look that Lorne gave the other man.

"Yes, I saw them, as well as their daughter. I cared for Kiro before her parents arrived for seven and ten years." she said as she removed some of her armor so she could move around the cooking area better. "She and her parents went for a walk not more then ten minutes ago." the Drow went on as the three men stared at her as she took off some of the armor, she was a well built woman to say in the lest, all Drow females were well bred. Well Rodney stared, Lorne and Ronon looked at the other.

"Were'd they go?" Ronon asked setting the longsword on the table, he perfered his own sword.

"Ask the Wraith." came the reply.

"Wraith?" Lorne asked.

Rodney though wasn't listening, as he had piucked up the crossbow out of habit at seeing it was so small. the draw weither must have been more then 10 KG for the thing was tiny, like a 9mm hand gun only with a crossbow look and feel.

Arivina spoke again as she turned to the men, her sky blue eyes and jet black skin and stark white hair made Lorne want to rasie his weapon, "Kiro took her parents on a short tour of the Underdark, only while they were gone Mathias came to here when the Wraith arrived, the Wraith stunned many but only took Kiro and her mother and father."

"OK new question." Ronon asked, his voice low, "where?" If Ronon was trying to intimidate the Drow he was not doing a very good job of it, sure he was a full head taller then Arivina though she was smaller and faster, and was a Priestess of the Ancients.

"Most likely the Wraith took them to the surface, only how they did so I donnot know." Arivina said.

"They didn't use the Stargate?" Lorne asked.

"Stargate?"

"The Ring" Ronon said somewhat correcting Lorne and somewhat answering the question.

"No, they did not come by way of the Ring." Arivina said, "they came by way of the surcae, only taking Kiro, her mother, and her father, though they put up on good fight, we helped as much as we could, though we were unable to get to your friends and their daughter before the Wraith fled with them."

"Where were they last?" Lorne asked. Arivina told them and they left.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Teyla entered the room John was in, and almost at the same time pushed Kiro back into the hall to keep watch as the first thing Teyla saw was Johns clothes on a chair, then she saw John on the bed strapped down, "what happened to you?"

"Get me outta this!" John all but screamed seeing Teyla staring at him, after a minute he asked confused. "What? Something wrong?" he looked to Teyla, she had gone a bit pale, only enough that she was scared, and worried.

"Are you OK John?" She asked him going over to him and starting to undo the straps, she knew he was naked under the sheet because of his clothes on the chair, when John made the move to take out the IV she stopped him, "No. Don't remove that, we don't know what is inside it." then she heard voices on her radio, strange that the Wraith let her keep the thing. She heard chatter, souinding like Ronon and Rodney bickering about something. "I hear someone" she told John.

"Who?" John asked, "who do you hear?"

"Ronon, and... Dr. Mckay." Teyla looked away for a moment. then her eyes fell on the IV Packet, it was just normal blood, thankfully from what she could see.

"Can you get ahold of them?" John asked, right before there came a shout and a crash as a Wraith fell into the room dead as a doornail, a small knife sticking out of its forehead. "That had to hurt, gimmie my pants would ya?" John yanked the IV from his arm and caught the tossed colthing as Teyla went to the door to keep watch with Kiro, John grabbed his vest then headed to the foor, his shirt was torn so he wouldn't need that... for all he knew. "What's going on? And, where did you get the..."

"...where did we get these?" Kiro asked drawing yet another knife from her small ammount of armor, "you are gonna need this." She said handing the rather oddly shaped knife to John. Who took it without a question other then, "why is it kinda warm?" he got slapped, right across the face, _OK John bad idea to ask THAT question._ he thought as the three started off.

"Should we not try to contact Dr. McKay?" Teyla asked as the three came to a four way stop. somehow the layout of the Hive was not as confusing as most Hive Ships were.

"Go ahead" John said, "I think I lost my radio."

Teyla nodded, John might have left it behind down in the Underdark for all they knew. she got onto her radio, "Dr. McKay?"

"Teyla?" came Rodneys confused sounding voice. "Where are you?"

"We are in a Hive Ship, only I am unser of where, we just left the Medical areas." Teyla responded.

"Oh well you are in luck as we are just about to... hi guys" Rodney said seeing the three round a corner and almost run headlong into the other three. "The Three Stooges at your service at the request of Dr. Weir. Don't ask why the Three Stooges only I think Weir actually likes those guys, come to think of it they are funny."

"Rodney, before going into a good history lesson what say we meet first, This is Kiro, Kiro this is Dr. Rodney Mckay" Teyla said introducing Kiro to Rodney as Ronon had gone back to report to Weir at Lornes orders. And the fact that Lorne was down the hall aways

"Well nice to meet you, though I just did a hell of a lot of walking and need to rest my legs a bit." Rodney said finding a seat and sitting down. "Ronon headed back home to let Weir know what was going on, the locals are pretty neat, the city is the same as..."

"... Atlantis we know that already. Fact is I think we are near the main tower." John grabbed Rodney and the four took off for Lorne, who was at the door leading to the Tower below by way of a path. when they met up with Lorne John spoke up, "Maj"

"Col" came the response, "and this must be Kiro" Lorne nodded his head towards Kiro who was hanging back a bit covering their retreate. Hearing her name spoken the white haired woman turned around. "Names Maj Lorne, nice to meet you, I'd love to keep thre chat going here but we gotta go, you seem to know you way around here, you take point and lead the way down to the City..."

"Underdark" Kiro cut in.

"...Whatever, lets go I'll keep an eye on our six." Lorne said, Kiro led the way down to the Underdark. All the while a voice rang in Teyla head, soon a choice would come, and she knew it. After all, she still had to tell Halling of her marriage to John and of how it was going so far. And she _knew_ Halling would not like it and want her to come back.


	4. IV Teylas Choice

As the group headed down into the Underdark from the Hive Ship, they met up with Mathais, who had gone with Lorne and Rodney and had guarded the way back due to the possibly dozens of dead Wraith laying around, "We have to move quickly, the sun is rising." the Drow said leading the way down into the underdark, passing a hand crossbow to Kiro, "you dropped this child, I have also refilled the quiver for you as well." Kiro took the weapon without saying anything and passed her father the knife she caried.

As the group left the Hive ship they encountered a few more Wraith, who were soon killed off, though after all the fun had passed John leaned over to Teyla as the group walked down to the main level of the Underdark, "where did Kiro get all the knives? she's like Ronon, who is, in himself a walking procupine" Seeing the look Teyla gave him John explained what said animal was.

Teyla gave John a 'look' then said quietly so Kiro couldn't hear, "Kiro has many knives on her person, they are desguised as part of her armor."

"That doesn't explain why the knife she gave me was...nevermind" John shut up when he saw the look his wife gave him, "lets eat then go home" John said correcting himself and saying the last bit aloud so everyone could hear.

Kiro nodded, "yes. Let us eat then return to Atlantis, otherwise those you work for might be worried for you." Kiro then led the way down to the Plaza, She slowed her walk as they entered the Plaza, there was smoke of the dead Wraith bodies being burned, "put these on." Mathias handed John, Teyla, Rodney & Lorne a breath bask that covered their mouth and nose.

John took the mask given him and examinded it. "what's this for?" he asked as he put it on.

"To protect your lungs against the smoke of the dead Wraith." Kiro explained, she then told of the last time the Wraith had come down to the Underdark and that she had gotton very sick, "The last time they came was three years ago, when we burned the dead I had not been given a breather before the burning began, the next day I was too sick to even move."

Somehow John was glad he had put the facemask on as the group headed for the house that Kiro had seemingly grown up in. Upon entering John noticed that the table was being set up with all sorts of foods and meats, which just by the mere sight of them made him remember that he was starving.

Soon everyone was seated at the table and eating the meal prepared Teyla was amazed at how good the food was, and the fact that Rodney was stuffing his face like normal so that was nothing new. The the radio came alive with Ronons voice, "time to head home, Weir wants to talk to you guys." John knew who he meant so he looked to Teyla.

"I will remain here with Kiro, when Dr. Weir gives you the answer to Kiro arriving on Atlantis we will come then." Teyla said giving John a 'no questions' look.

"Great, Come on Rodney lets go." John and Rodney then left, and headed back to Atlantis.

-------------------------------------------------------

Once there John first noticed Ronon was nowhere to be seen, but he did see Weir waiting there for him, "Dr. Weir" John said calmly "to what do I owe this of you waiting here for me to arive?"

"What happened over there, Ronon said something about the Wraith coming for you and Teyla and... why are you without a shirt?" Weir asked getting to the point right away.

"They got good food back there" Rodney said, he still had a good sized piece of bread in his hands. Weir ignored him for the moment

"Well I can see someone is happy that we are safe and sound." John said in a perky voice, "Yeah there was Wraith, only they didn't last long." John explained what had happened after he and Teyla met Kiro.

"Where is Kiro now?" Weir asked.

"Back there" John jerked a thumb, "you don't mind if... she comes here do you? Also she looks a little like a Wraith because of her hair being white, though her skin is more like a misx of me and Teyla, a sunburnt color you know?"

"Fine, just know this, if I get any calls via sceurity because of a Wraith on base, I'll give the order to hunt the Wraith down." Weir said. she looked up to the man at the contrls for the Stargate and nodded, "dail back."

John nodded, "right, hopefully Ronon wont go gun happy on her." John then headed back to the planet.

--------------------------------------------------------

Even though by Teylas watch John had only been gone ten minutes to those in Atlantis but in the Underdark John had been gone overnight, which allowed Teyla to stay the night in her daughters home. Only she dreamed again, a darker, scarier dream...

_Heat, nothing but inyense heat, the team had come out into a desert planet and a heat wave, most likely because the place was about to go supernova, "Get the Fighters in the air." Teyla heard herself say in a strong Wraith like voice._

_Teyla felt herself walk forwards through the blistering sand, something about the planet made her think. She had been there before hadn't she? Burning sand, heat, underground cities... then it came to her..._

_Creamitore, the hottest planet in Pegasus, and they only had three hours left of darkness before the sun as hot as it was wrose in the east, Teyla could already feel the heat on her back. then came the rouble of a starship lifting off, it was time to leave for the War._

Once inside the ship Teyla got a good look around, she knew she was dreaming, but she couldn't break the dream, she was reliving the Hive Queen she had killed, she was reliving her memories.

_Two Drones stepped forwards, Teyla felt herself speak "ready the ship for hyperspace" the Drones left and Teyla woke up_

Teyla shot bolt upright in the bedr she had been allowed to use, something was strange, perhaps it was because of the Wraith far above that were still close enough to give her nightmares? Getting out of the bed Teyla went to the main room where the group had eaten before John and Rodney left, only she was not alone.

"Hello Teyla" a well known voice said.

Teyla looked up, a smile on her otherwise worried face, in front of her sitting in a chair, was Red, "Well met" was all she said, if Red was there he surely had something to say.

"So, how do you like Kiro? Did I raise her rightly?" Apparently Red wanted to be sure he had parenting down as a good skill. even though he had two children of his own.

Teyla smiled, "You did well in caring for Kiro, thank you" she told the man, Red smiled in his galaxy famous smile. Teyla looked at him, "If I may ask, why are you here?"

"Well there is something that I hate to tell you but I have to tell you because if I don't tell you... well... Lets just say that if I don't tell you what you have to do now after meeting your daughter, you wont see her again" Red seemed reluculant to tell Teyla what she was going to have to do when she returned to Atlantis.

"Tell me, what must I do?" Apparently teyla had gotton used to Red giving orders. Only something about not seeing Kiro again made her think of once more Ascending.

Red saw the look Teyla was giving him, somehow he knew he had to tell Teyla everything he could, and the Others knew it as well. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but very soon you are going to have to make a choice, a choice that could mean your death, or your daughters death." Red looked sad as he spoke.

Teyla looked confused, "what of the dreams?"

"When Mina tried to feed off you she instead had been fed from by you, not only was she fed from but her whole mind entered you along with her life force." Red explained.

"So the dreams are..."

"... Her past before meeting you." Red said standing up from the seat he was in, "now if you will excuse me Kiro is in the other room readying to go to the city now, I just spoke to her before you woke up, and now I must go." Red headed for the door, then stopped and leaned on it as he said thoughtfully, "Let John know I said hello would ya?"

Right at that instant the door opened and John stood there as Red fell out.

"I know my cue" Red said getting to his feet, "what a way to let a guy out of the house you know" he said smiling.

"What are you doing here?" John asked.

"Teyla will explain, I gotta go, Groucho's waiting for me we had a card game planned so, good day to you both." Red said before walkng off and fading away with every step.

John looked back to Teyla, "what was that about? You aren't cheating on me are you?" John asked a smile starting to appear at the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

Teyla knew what John meant and could see the smile starting to form, "No, Red was only giving me something that I must do. Otherwise we lose Kiro forever" She explained everything that Red told her, even the reason behind the dreams.When she was done John asked simply, "Wanna head back home?"

Teyla nodded, "what did Dr. Weir say?"

"Well she said she'd keep Ronon busy and away from Kiro, also she warned me that if anyone calls security because of a Wraith on base she'll give the order to have her hunted down herself." John said.

"Then let us go back to Atlantis. There is someone I must speak with." Teyla didn't tell John that she needed to talk to Halling, other then that Red would have him waiting for her in her and Johns quarters when they arrived. "Kiro is ready in the other room, she wanted to speak to you about something."

John looked at Teyla confused then headed inside, a few minutes later the thread plus Lorne and his team headed back to the gate in the Jumper before heading back to Atlantis. Once the Jumper landed Teyla left the Jumper Bay and headed for her and Johns quarters.

When she arrived she found halling there waiting for her, "Halling, what is the matter?" she asked after giving the normal greeting of the forehead touch. Something was up.

"Hello Teyla, when you joined the Ancestors ten months ago and returned, none of us were told that you ame back other then by word of mouth of those that bring supplies to the mainland for us. Something tells me that you perfer to stay here in Atlantis with Col Sheppard, instead of coming to visit us when you returned you instead stayed here." Halling spoke, his voice harboring sadness. As if he didn't want to have the talk again.

"Halling, what are you saying?" Teyla asked, "are you saying that I have left you? That I had forgotton everyone?" Teyla looked as if she had been punched in the stomach, "What troubles you?" She already dreaded the answer.

"Teyla, you have to choose, Stay here in Atlantis and continue to help the people here against the Wraith, or leave here and cotinue to lead our people. You cannot choose both." Halling said, "In whichever you choose, I understand why."

Teyla was at a loss for words, how could she leave her people and forget about them? That would be next to impossible, "Halling I... I love John, we have a child of our own that we have just been reunited with after so many long months without her. I can't... I can't leave them now? Nor can I leave us all, Who do you have in my stead?"

"Right now my son Jinto, he learned well from you, and he is looked to for advice, he does what he thinks you would do as a leader, he is in my stead now as I have been in yours." Halling said, "have you chose which path you will take?" He asked as he turned to leave.

"Halling..." Teyla said slowly, Halling looked to the woman he himself had raised for his friend, "... I looked to you as a father, and to Jinto as a brother. I can't leave you, nor can I leave John, not now." Teyla looked away as if ready to be slapped by Halling, but... nothing happened, in stead Halling took Teyla into a hug.

"Teyla, no matter the choice you make you will always be welcome with our people." he said before turning to leave the room to go back to the mainland, Leaving Teyla where she stood watching him leave, tears starting to form in her eyes... Somehow she felt more alone then ever.


	5. V Weapons or Death

Shortly after Halling left Teyla headed for Weirs office, hopefully Weir had met Kiro and liked her if not as a new found friend but as the child of John and Teyla, _I wonder how Ronon would like her? With her as a Wraith look alike, most likely not nicely._ Teyla thought entering the control room just as Weir was leading John and Kiro into her office. Teyla joined them.

"Well, Kiro is it? what do you think of the city so far?" Weir asked as she took a seat behind her desk, Kiro remained standing.

"It is similar to where I was stasying before mother and father came for me to bring me home." Kiro said, her voice sounding more harplike then back in the Underdark. She then expained to Weir about the world she grew up on. "The Wraith call the Drow, Dark Wraith, as if they are a fallen version of their kind, in which the Wraith themselves are. Mathias and his wife Arivina took care of my at the request of the Ancestors." Kiro smiled a all but the same smile as John, "So, here I am."

"Well for one thing that does not explain why you look like a Wraith, but for your safety, I'll have Major Lorne assign two men to keep watch over you, one of the members of the Team might go what John calls, gun happy, if he sees you." Weir said, John smirked when Weir mentioned Ronon going gunhappy.

"Now what?" Kiro asked, looking up to her father from where she sat, ashe had a brown robe on rather then just the black and grey armor. Which showed more skin then her mothers sparring clothes every did or will.

"Any missions or the like?" John asked Weir. Somehow he just had to see his daughter in combat, he'd seen Teyla in combat and wondered if their fighting styles were the same. "or maybe even a recon mission to... oh say M6F-177?" he needed someway to get his daughter up to speed on things since she was born... ten months ago.

"Actually now that you ask that, This was sent to us by Laden Radeem." Weir handed John a plain white folder, "the gate opened a few minutes after you left to bring home your family, Laden's voice came through and said he wanted help with something, he said he wanted you asnd your team minus Ronon to see what this is about." John opened the folder, inside there were Genii style pictures, two were of the gate and the last was of the body laying beside the DHD.

After taking one look at the body John passed it back to Teyla to see her breath cought in her throat when she looked at the third picture, it was Athos, and the body was her father. Kiro noticed her mothers breathing change and asked tentively, "Mom? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, only, When was this picture taken?" Teyla asked Weir, she set the thing on Weir desk so everyone in the office could see it, it was Teylas father beside the DHD, and he didn't look fed on either. he looked... shot

"Laden didn't say when the picture was taken other then he hoped you guys would know why and who put that body there by that gate." Weir said.

"Sounds like a walking mission." John said heading for the door as Kiro stood up. "do we go now?"

"It is a walking mission since you are going to be so near the stargate, and yes I think it best you three and Jumper Seven leave now, Lorne will only be there incase cover fire is needed." Weir said. "good luck."

"Lets go." John said he called to Lorne who was still in the Jumper bay but at Jumper One which was still undergoing repairs after being sunk thankfully within swimming distanst of the beach on the mainland. "Lorne this is Sheppard, We are heading to Athos and we'd like you to provide both a way out as well as cover should it be needed, take Jumper Seven"

"Yes sir" Came Lornes response, a few seconds later the Jumper headed out of the gate, and John asked Teyla as the team was waiting for the Jumper to head out before them, "You OK hon?" He also had noticed how Teyla was acting after seeing the picture, Something was up.

"I am fine." Teyla said She truely wasn't, inside she was a total wreck, seeing her fathers body beside the DHD on her homeworld had her wondering what had happened to him, she had not seen the man since she was a child. Somehow she was dreading deeply what she would find on her homeworld.

"Are you sure?" John asked, giving Teyla a look that said clearly, 'what the hell is going on?' Teyla tried to smile.

"I am not sure that I should go, it is my fathers body that was in that picture." Teyla explained, "I had not seen him since I was a little girl." John set a comforting hand on his wifes shoulder, then the team headed through the gate.

Steapping out onto Athos again, possibly for the second time since the Wraith came by that first time, Everyone noticed the body by the gate as well as heard Lornes voice over the radio, "Everything is clear sire, though the Jumper is picking up lifesigns that aren't yours, should we check those out?"

"Go ahead, we are close to the woods so if Anything comes for us we can hide fast" John said as Teyla went over to the DHD and turned her fathers body over, her eyes looking over his body for any signs of aging from a feeding.

After a minute Teyla let out a sigh, "he has not been fed upon, he was shot. By whom I donnot know." she said standing up, her eyes looking to her fathers body, it was clear that she was torn on what to do, she didn't want to fall apart in front of John or Kiro, nor did she want to keep her anger to whomever killed Tagan bottled up inside herself.

"Well don't worry, soon as Lorne gets back to us on the radio, we can have Beckett bring a body bag to transport your father back to the city." John said taking hold of Teyla, Just as Lornes voice came over the radio.

"Sir, the lifesigns are that of wildlife, nothing to worry about."

"Great, dial it up and lets head back home." John said, Lorne started dailing, then the gate dailed itself, "We have incoming!" John shouted taking Teyla behind the DHD and aiming his P90 at the 'gate, only to have Laden come out. "Well this is...Teyla!"

Teyla got up from behind the DHD and started running at Laden, somehow he knew what was going to happen as he fought hand to hand with Teyla for a few moments, it was a heated match, each trying to at least knock out the other when...

WHAM! Teyla was hit in the back by a Stunner and hit the ground, for the first time since John met Teyla, she had lost her cool.

Once Teyla was off him Laden looked to John, "what was that about?"

"Uh... it's nothing personal but I think Teyla blames either you or the Genii for killing this guy." John said pointing to Tagan.

"Well that is one way of putting it" Laden said brushing himself off, "so, I hear you are now married, is that right?"

"Nothing ever gets by the Genii" John muttered, as he nodded, "yup, I had to stun my wife to calm her down as you can see."

"Yes well, hopefully you can tell her that I had nothing to do with hen, if he was killed by a Genii weapon there is nothing I can do. We were trying t ofind other planets to trade with, this one was the first we went to, only when we got here we found him like he is." Laden explained as Teyla slowly came to, thankfully John had the thing on its lowst setting, which would knock her out for a minute or so.

She heard Laden's voice speaking of how they had gone to the planet in hopes of trading with those there, only that would be hard because there was no-one on the planet anymore. Standing up slowly she said to John, "radio Dr. Beckett, have him take my father back to the city, there is someplace I need to go to." she started walking towards the lake where the settlement used to be.

John radoed back then he Laden and Kiro followed Teyla, to the old City, to a house. Teyla entered the house, as she did so she pointed to a spot of red blood, it was fresh, "This appears to be new, it was most likely that of my fathers blood." she said before entering the house, the power was out, turning on her P90 light she looked around the darkened place, there was more blood in the city of the entery area, Laden brought up his light to show more things in the place, the floor was covered in dust, only in places did anyone notice the footprints.

Teyla made her way to a stairway and went up, the trail of blood seemed to go either up the stairs or down, upon entering a room she stared at what she saw, memories hit her as she watched herself as a child with her father in the place before the Wraith came, then she saw herself fleeing, leaving everything behind, and not looking back. She was startled when John arrived next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "My father made a choice. He was still alive in this place, where I was born, and he made a choice that I would never make."

"Hey it's OK, come here." John took Teyla into a hug, she sobbed int ohis shoulder, "what was the choice he had to make?"

"He had to choose either to fight or die." Teyla said, "he had to choose either weapons or death. I think he chose the wrong choice." Teyla looked back at the room she was born in as well as grew up in. "I was born in this house." Teyla spoke up after a few tense minutes of nothing but quiet, save for the sounds of Kiro and Laden downstairs looking around.


	6. VI Enemy of my Enemy,,

Tearing herself from John Teyla entered the bedroom, not seeing Johns baffled look, She remembered everything, as if it was there in front of her, "The bed was there, there was a dresser here, and my... crib... was near the window." Teyla was paceing fast around the room as she remembered everything from her past, somehow Red was trying to tell her something, either that or her father was.

John stood dumbfounded in the doorway as Teyla scampered about the room, after a minute he asked, "what is this about Teyla? There is nothing here but shattered funiture. how could..." John shut up when he saw Teyla crouch down and balance on her heels.

She picked up something from the dust covered ground, it was a picture, of her as a child, sure teyla looked different, but the picture was her, it was torn in places, and burned on the bottom, but it was clearly her. Standing up she walked over to John, and handed him the picture, "this was me, I forget how old I was at the time of this."

John took the picture and looked at it, "you look nice, you still do" he said looking from the picture to his wife, indeed she looked even better then the picture. Even though the picture was faded and old it was Teyla, _possibly around six or seven_ John thought.

Teyla though had turned back to the room, and the hallway beyond it, the blood trail headed that way, coming to a door she found it locked, yet the hinges were old so she gave a shove and the door broke off its frame. Teyla almost hit the floor as the door fell open, the room beyond had a door set into the side as well as a huge window at the end of the hall, which was shattered.

Going to the door it opened easy, and Teyla found herself staring at a huge puddle of blood, "He died here" was all she said before John got there, then when he arrived she was taken into a hug as and she sobbed into Johns chest again, the bedroom was her her old room when she lived there in that house.

John just stood there, holding his wife, Laden and Kiro were down stairs not knowing of what was going on where John and Teyla were, John let his wife sob into his chest, he really felt for her, after all seeing your father dead was a eye opener, that and the room he was killed in must have hit a place long thought forgotton. A painful place.

--------------------------------------------

It Atlantis the Stargate started up, Weir went down to see why and a full squad of Marines and AirForce arrived, along with a old face, "Sargt. Bates?" Weir asked seeing the man, "I thought that because of your injuries you were not fit to return here?"

"So did I, but apparently the Brass think differently, they figure since I know the layout of the city, I can help get the new members trained." Bates said, "where is Col Sheppard? I was to report to him when I got here."

"Col Sheppard is on a recon mission, one that has something in it for teyla, something about a dead body and the Genii, Teyla didn't say what about though she did seem to want to go to her homeworld soon as she saw what the Genii sent us." Weir said.

"Well, since I am to report to Col Sheppard I think I will head for Athos then." Bates said. Weir nodded and gave the order to redail the gate to Athos, then she told Bates not to fire on anyone because those on Athos were all friendlies. Bates nodded and left Atlantis.

A few minutes later Bates arrived at the Old City, and found the Jumper parked near a house, "Maj" he said when he arrived.

"Sarge." Lorne responded, he jerked his head, "their inside, though I'll let them know know your coming by way of the radio."

"Great." Bates said before going in, as he passed Lorne he heard Lorne speak of him arriving. When he stepped inisde the first people he saw were Kiro and Laden, his first thought was to frais his P90 at Kiro but then he remembered Weirs orders not to fire on anyone unless told to do so.

"You seem familar" Laden said.

"Radeem, I remember you." Bates said evenly, "Genii, under Kolya."

"Kolya's gone, for all we know he is either hiding or dead." Laden said, her jerked a thumb towards the stairs, "up there."

A few seconds later John appeared at the top of the stairs, he couldn't believe his eyes, "Bates?" he came down the stairs fast. Teyla though stayed in her old bedroom, she had asked John for some time by herself.

"Where is Mother?" Kiro asked appearing next to John and looking up the stairs. "did she not come with you?"

"She's upstairs, she wants some time to herself as her fathers passing is very hard on her." John said, he then explained everything to Bates of why they were on Athos. Bate just looked at John.

"You married her sir?" he was confused, John nodded, Bates went on, "who did the wedding?"

"O'Neill did. We've been married almost two years now." John said, he then put a hand on Kiros shoulder, "This is our daughter Kiro, Kiro this is Sarg. Bates." Kiro merely nodded to Bates whereas Bates didn't seem to notice her for a few seconds before he relized that his CO was married and had a fully grown kid, and he was gone for three years.

"Nice to meet you." Bates told Kiro, "could you uh.. give us a moment" Bates took John aside.

"OK Bates what's the deal with you coming back?" John asked, the last time he saw Bates he was beamed up to the Daedalus half dead from a Wraith attack.

"The Brass wanted me to help with the new recruits to the group, there is a whole battaillion back at the City now to help you guys out, I heard about Adra, who hasn't, the big light in the nightsky over the southern half of Earth, The Ori are old news over the planet." Bates said, he looked to Kiro, "How old is she sir?"

"Who Kiro? going on eigtteen why?"

"She looks more like Teyla's age, and you guys have been married how long now? Two years?" John nodded, "Ok then either you met up with a Quantum Mirror, or something else, because your daughter is not a kid, shes a woman that looks like Teyla. How long ago was she born?"

"Ten months ago why?"

"Ten months? How can she be almost eighteen then?" Bates had no idea of how John and Teylas child had been raised.

"Well, the Ancients rasied her since she was born, saying they'd keep her safe then return her to us at the proper time, that and the fact that time passes very fast up there." John said, before both he and Bates heard Teyla coming down the stairs.

Teyla looked... calmer then she did when they arrived, somehow she had also meditated a bit and found her inner peace that had been lost. And in finding that, she felt even more at peace with her fathers passing. She looked up when she noticed Bates, and just stared at the man, not saying a word.

"Mother? Are you OK? You seem tired, and lost." Kiro said seeing Teyla, Bates had to keep himself from doing a double take, Teyla and Kiro looked so much alike, mostly in both build and hairstyle but Kiros eyes were clearly Johns.

"I am fine, I only wanted some time alone upstairs as I had... something to finish with." Teyla said to Kiro, who merely nodded and left it at that.

"Well, shall we head back to Atlantis now?" John asked, "I'm sure Laden can explain everything to you Teyla as we walk. now that you all but broke his jaw." John smirked as Teyla sent a 'sorry about that' look to Laden. Who didn't seem to notice as the group then headed home to Atlantis.

Somehow Bates and Teyla could not help but think of the other, nor could they not think of the line, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," but by the looks of things, Teyla and Bates weren't going to go all buddy buddy on the other anytime soon.

**_AN: Next three chapters are on hold until I rewrite Death Comes A Callin' the pwoer went out and I lost the whole thing_**


	7. VII Death Comes a Callin'

Bates was still trying to get through his head that his CO had a daughter nearing ninteen years of age, he found it odd, but then anything in Pegasuis was very different, John started up the gate, and what came back at them they wouldn't like at all. Gunfire. "This is Sheppard what is going on?"

"This is McKay we got Wraith in the City, Ronon and I are barricaded in a hallway closest to the ZedPM! Get back here ASAP!" Rodney yelled back.

"On our way, lets go folks, weapons lose and ready to fire!" John yelled, everyone went through the gate. they found dozens of dead Wraith and two dead soldiers. Kiro went through the dead Wraith slitting theit throats with her knife she had hidden in her armor.

Seeing her cutting the dead Wraith's thorats Bates asked her, "what are you doing that for? They're already dead."

"They would seem so, but they are now." Kiro responded, Teyla at the same time took out hand grenade and primed it, and tossed it on a pile of dead bodies. killing the half alive Wraith.

"Lets go, gateroom clear, Rodney where are you?" John asked seeing that the gateroom was in deed cleared.

"ZedPM level, barricaded inside, the Wraith are gone but the Life Signs are showing about six dozen left in the City heading our way" Rodney said, sometimes living in Atlantis never got old, and ever since Teyla Ascneded it never got boring either with all the Wraith fighting the other and the Ori sending small scounting parties into the Pegasus everynow and again.

"On our way, Bates your with me and Teyla, Kiro your with us as well, everyone else spread into pairs and take out all Wraith you see, no stunning killing only." John said giving orders, the group moved down the halls for Rodney's location and met up with Carson tending to a wounded Marine, "You OK Doc?" John asked.

"Aye, I'm fine but this lad has seen better days, Sarge. good to see you." Carson said, giving a nod to Bates.

"Same here Doc, Sheppard, i'll stay here with Beckett, keep him covered. you go get McKay." Bates said, John nodded then he and his family headed off for Rodney's location.

Reaching the hall wherein the ZedPM room was located John called out, "Don't shoot, it's us."

"You'll have to be more specific." Rodney yelled from inside the ZedPM room.

"It is Teyla, Kiro and myself anymore questions Rodney before I stun you to keep from getting shot?" John asked sounding a bit pissed off, that was normal Teyla thought. Kiro though never saw her father when he was mad.

"Why didn't you say so?" Rodney asked getting up to open the blocked door. "Other then 'it's us' I'd have known it was you guys."

"Haha Rodney where's Ronon?"

"Here" Ronon said he had a out cold Keller over a shoulder.

"Typical firemans carry" John muttered. "Ok lets head back to the Gateoroom and try to figure out what happened. Bates this is Sheppard we are on our way to your location."

"Wait where is Bate's exactly?" Rodney asked

"Near the Infirmary, why?" John told him.

"Well it's a long shot, but then again they are gonna want to lock themselves in the Wraith are headed that way." Rodney said handing John the LSD.

"Damn, Bates this is Sheppard lock yourself in the Infirmary now we are on our way and can hopefully catch the Wraith in a crossfire. Bates respond."

"This is Bcekett, Col Sheppard, Bates is injured, and I got him on a bed, Weir has been briefed and is on her way now." Carson said.

"What happened?" John asked.

"Wraith they came on us and forgot about me, only focused on Bates." Beckett said, he sounded confused, "I got him on a bed now, no sign of a feeding, nothing else either."

"Great the Wraith are gone then?" John asked already leading thegroup from the ZedPM room.

"Aye, they fled for the balconeies and got beamed up after they were done with Bates" Carson said, "Keller went missing shortly before the Wraith came, haven't heard from her since."

"Yeah well we got her here with us, in fact I think she is coming to now." John said seeing Keller start to wake up, "You OK, you have one hell of a bump there" John told her before she even asked what was going on. He looked to Ronon, "take her to Beckett, then tell Weir I'm taking my family for a quick looksee upstairs to see if we have anymore company." He then let Ronon leave and then led Kiro and Teyla up to the Jumper Bay.

Ten minutes later out in Space John was talkingto Weir, "I see one Hive, and it is leaving, fast too. should I engage?"

"No, head back Bates wants to talk to you, Beckett says we are losing him." Weir said, John could almost hear Bates' death rattle as she spoke. "We aren't sure but he's leaving and we can't stop him. get back down here."

"OK on our way" John said. he looked over to Teyla, "You OK?"

"I am fine" Teyla said, though somewhat slower then normal. In truth she wasn't, she didn't know what to think, finding her father's body, then seeing Bates again, then Bates possibly dead now, that and her daughter never got to know who her grandparents were.

"Well, you don't look, fine to me." John said, giving Teyla a look.

"You are right, I... I miss my father, even though he is dead, I still miss him." Teyla said, tears showing in her eyes at seeing her fathers body by the DHD not fifteen minutes ago.

"Well, we all miss somebody that passed on," John said, "don't worry, you look like you need sleep too, so soon as we get back to Atlantis you and Kiro can go get some sleep and maybe I'll be a few minutes behind you guys." John told Teyla, "Look, you need to sleep, you've been through a lot the last day and I think a night of sleep will do some good for you."

"Very well, just get us home."

"Right" Ten minutes later John landed the Jumper, "We are home, You know what to do." John said giving Teyla kiss on the forehead before heading for the Infirmary.

Teyla nodded and left with Kiro and headed for their quarters, once inside Teyla showed her daughter her room, which had been setup while they were there that morning, then Teyla headed for the bed to sleep, and after changing she tried to sleep.

John arrived at the Infirmary, "So what's the news?" he asked Beckett.

"We are losing him, it is like he lost the will to live. I think you might want to say your good bye to him." Carson said.

"And Keller?"

"Just a headache, nothing Ronon can't handle." Carson said with a smile knowing just as John did that the young doctor was taken by the huge Satedan.

"Gimmie a few would you Doc?" John said, Carson nodded and left the Infirmary to see to a few other soldiers. John went over to Bates' bedside. "You feeling OK?" he asked.

"Never been better sir" Bates said not looking John's way. he coughed a bit.

"Well Beckett says you'll pull through this if you work at it, unless you don't want to live anymore." John said.

"Well, that had crossed my mind Sir, only thing is, it is my time to go, so I might as well make this quick." Bates said.

"Don't talk that way Bates." John said.

"I have to, it's about Teyla." Bates said

"What about her?" John asked suddenly concerned for his wife, only with no idea why.

"She and I never got along much on things, one of which being that my acusing her of working for the Wraith, and that fight. I thought she herself had sent that guy after me after that morning." Bates said.

"Well she didn't Why would she? She's my wife Bates, why would she work for the Wraith? We'd be dead already." John said confused.

"Yes sir, and I was wrong, I never got to apologize to Teyla about my accusing her, perhaps you could tell her?" Bates said.

"Yeah, I'll tell her." John said, watching Bates stop breathing, the monitor on the bedside went off, "Beckett!" John yelled.

Ten minutes later it was confirmed, Bates was gone. John left the infirmary in a daze and headed for the only person he knew to help him think rightly, Teyla. Entering their room he saw her on the bed. John knew she was sleeping, but then why wake her up for sometyhing so small as Bates apology? John thought it best to wait until sunrize to tell his wife about the talk he had with Bates and got ready for bed, then got into bed with Teyla to sleep.


	8. VIII Teyla Dreams Again

Teyla felt John's wieght on the bed when he slid under the covers, she shifted a bit so she'd be on his shoulder with his arm around her, within a few minutes the pair were sound a sleep, as was the rest of the City. Only Teyla didn't get that much sleep. As she slept she dreamed again...

_"Teyla" a voice called out to her, she knew that voice, it was her mother's voice, that harplike voice that lulled her to sleep everynight, only she was screaming, and Teyla found herself in two places at once, the first being herself as a very young child watching as a Hive Queen feed off her mother, and the second she was feeding off her mother herself, nither she as the little child, nor as the Wraith could turn away._

_"Mother!" Teyla screamed when the Hive Queen finished and let Teyla's mothers body fall limply to the ground, The other Wraith left as did the Queen, but Teyla stayed, runing to her mothers side, placing a hand on her mothers heart Teyla let the tears fall freely, this was the first time she had seen the Wraith, and she knew it wouldn't be the last._

_Teyla then felt herself being comforted by another, a stronger person, her father, "It's ok Teyla, I'm here, even though your mother is gone, she still lives in you." Tagan said, and from what Teyla could see even through the eyes of a very young girl, her father looked similar to John in hight, but more like Halling in face._

_The scene shifted to twilight, how it did so Teyla didn't know nor care, she was with her father, that was all that mattered._

_"Teyla, darling run, hide quickly!" came a male voice, it wasn't Halling. "Don't look behind! Keep running!" the man said, Teyla then found herself doing just that, she was running, fast as she could, she felt older then, older then when she wacthed that Wraith that killed her mother, but she didn't liten to the voice, she turned to look, and saw her father getting culled into the Dart 'NO!!' she thought, her heart shattering inside her. "Father!"_

_She tried to get to where he last stood but Halling held her back, as if following oders, "Halling please, let me go! Father!" Teyla struggled agasinst Hallings arms in a hopeless attempt to get to where her father last stood. It was the last time she ever saw her father alive._

_Teyla couldn't turn away from what she was seeing, she watched her friends father die at the hands of the Wraith, then later watched Jintos mother get culled while on a hunting trip. Then later seeing the death of a few friends after meeting John, at last that was the highlight from she could tell._

_Then things changed._

_"John" Teyla found herself in Atlantis, John was in the Infirmary, alseep, he had that retrovirus going again for some reason, "John are you alright?" Teyla then noticed the dark to light hard scalelike sin John had on his neck and upper arm. 'No, not this again, please, anything but this again' "John, can you hear me?"_

_John woke up, grumbling a bit at how the Infirmary beds were actually as soft as a gravel driveway after a good rain. Teyla tried not to smile at John's grumbling about the beds, "are you alright?" Teyla asked again._

_"I think so, I have one humdinger of a headache though, that's for sure." John said in his normal everyday easy go voice, even though he looked like a victem of a nuclear war by that time, making Teyla take a healthy step back, "What's wrong?"_

_"You are... changing... again" Teyla said giving John confused look, should he even be out of bed?_

_"Hmm? I'm fine, only I'm starving and... why am I in the Infirmary?" John asked, he was at the point wherein he and the team had gone to the planet to get those stem cells, only in much better shape. "Teyla, you OK, you look a little pale" John said concerned for Teyla._

_"I'm fine, only, confused, what happened to you? You are... changing... again, can't you see that?" Teyla asked. What worried her was that John didn't know he was changing._

_"I feel fine, don't see why I should be in here shall we get going?" John asked getting out of the bed and heading for the door, and when he opened the thing, well that's when the trouble started._

_First there was a huge Wraith drone standing there, qwho simply knocked John into Teyla with a single smack to the face, knocking Teyla tio the floor with a scaple all but missing her face if she hadn't tried to roll over, the knife hit, but not as bad as a straight on fall, it made a thin line down the side of Teyla's face._

_Then the Wraith moved forwards, John grabbed up a stool and wacked the thing with it repeatedly, until he was thrown through a window onto a balconey and slid a few feet to the edge. John got back up and ran back into the Infirmary and pulled the Wraith off Teyla, the thing wasn't feeding, moreso it was trying to knock her out. The Wraith smacked Teyla twice, giving her two good sized cuts that went paralell to the one the scaple gave her, along with a good shot at the neck if Teyla hadn't put up her arm, which got a nasty long cut on it._

_Teyla couldn't wake up, how could she? was she even awake already?_

John woke up in his and Teyla's bed, he felt something sticky on his arm under Teyla and when he looked he noticed something on both his arm and on Teyla's face, and since Teyla was out cold and not moving, what was happening?!

John slid his arm out from under his wife, and turned on the bedside lamp, and his eyes widened, _'this is not good.'_ he thought seeing three cuts on Teylas face, as wel as a very long, nasty looking, freshly bleeding cut on her arm. He got out of bed, but didn't wake Kiro, who was sound asleep in the other room. looking to the sheets he saw no blood on them, but Teyla's pillow was coated in the stuff. What to do, what to do?

_Teyla laid out on her back, trying to fend off a Wraith Drone who had clearly already fed off a few people, within a few minutes Teyla couldn't hold the Wraith back anymore, as she was too weak to defend herself, the Wraith slammed its fist on her heart, then it screamed, as did Teyla._

_Then something odd happened, As the Wraith fed, Teyla did as well, the cuts on her face repaired themselves, and the cut on her arms sealed, the blood from the wounds collected itself and went back into her body, as if healing her somehow._

_Then the Wraith fell dead, leaving Teyla staring at the thing confused, 'did I just feed off the Wraith, again?' She wondered as she pulled herself to her feet, with no idea of how to even so much as wake up. then everythign faded._

Teyla opened her eyes, and found herself staring at John, what was he doing up? "John?" Teyla asked, how did he get back to himself so soon?

"You OK, you were bleeding a bit, I was tempted to get Beckett, but then thought better of it and Kiro is still asleep better to not wake her up." John said, he explained to Teyla about her cuts, and even looked for them, then Teyla told him of her dream, and had wondered if they should be checked come morning, John agreed, and they went back to sleep.

The next morning came only instead of going right to Beckett, both John and Teyla were called to Weir's office for very important news. And rather then not go right away to Beckett they followed orders and went to Weir to see what the news was about


	9. IX A Shaky Stalemate

When John and Teyla arrived in Weir office they noticed Jack O'Niell, Col Caldwell, and Michael in the room, Teyla though didn't look towards the Wraith, prefering to try and ignore the being as best she could. Was her dream because of Michael?

"Well, to what do we owe this party?" John asked seeing Caldwell, Mike and Jack, "Anything we should know before we do our normal daily sparring match?" John asked, he was really faking it as he wanted to get Teyla to Carson soon as he could.

"Actually your time at the gym will have to wait Col, Michael, if you would begin at the start of things to explain what you told me. I'm sure something would come of this." Weir said to Michael.

"Explain what?" John asked looking from Weir to Michael.

"On your homewotld there is a group known as the Trust, they ahve joined with another group, known to a few as the Mafia, perhaps you know of them?" Michael said.

"Yeah we know them but why them?" John asked.

"That was my question. only thing being at the prison wherein this guy was working had a few Mafia hitmen in the place on death row, only when they saw Mike they caved in and told him of what was going on between the SGC and the Trust, and how the Trust are sided with the Mafia now." Jack explained.

"Then why call us?" Teyla asked confused, the last time she had encountered the Trust they had taken her prisoner

"Well that question was strange then answered as well as the prison Mike works at is just up the road from the SGC so naturally he came to us, therefore we were the first to find out that the President is also waiting for you and wants to hear what you think we should do as the Trust had planted a bomb here a few years ago" Jack said, Caldwell gave him a look, but Jack didn't catch it so it really just bounced around the room.

"So, where do we come in on this?" John asked.

"Your wife was taken by the Trust, at the time they thought they had leverage against the SGC and the president, at the time of course, then things snowballed when you and I went to get her back, things fell apart at the same time in Washington when the White House was attacked." Jack said.

"Wait, why weren't we told of that attack then?" John asked.

"Because we were too busy getting your wife back and containing the Wraith threat to Earth at the time." Weir explained, "we also had the Ori to deal with as well, for which many thanks are in order to you Teyla for helping us with that."

Teyla merely nodded, still trying to avoid eye contact with Michael. it was not that she didn't trust the Wraith, but it was more that she was thinking of the dream she had that night.

"There is also the matter of the Trust tasking over Bermuda again, didn't the Prime Minister already retake the place in force?" Weir asked Michael.

"There was mention among my fellow workers at the prison, some of them wondered what had happened, but then none of them had asked anything other then that so I only know so much. Also there is a new leader in the Trust ranks, she is the one that made the shakey stalemate between your leader, and the Trust, which is currently to my knowledge based on the same Ilse." Michael said.

"So we are going to have to pack some scuba gear I take it?" John asked.

"Nope, just a Jumper, and a air take and a few drones." Jack said, "we leave in five minutes so get your baggage, preferably your wife and kid and lets go!"

"Now?" John and TGeyla both asked confused.

"No not now more like ten minutes ago, come on letys get going there are a few things you need to know as well, the Trust took up residence on Bermuda, the leader rebelled against the United Kingdom because hey it was the Trust, the Trust won but lost their leader, her name was Jo Radii, she was hung." Jack told him.

"Ok that's bad because if the Trust think that Teyla is their leader because she looks like this dead person... I'm not going to even let Teyla go to the bathroom alone." John said, if that was the case he was going to do just that. even if he had to dress in drag.

"Don't worry about that I'd worry more over your kid she'd raise wonderment if we were going to the White House, which we aren't we are going only to the SGC and the President is waiting." Jack said.

Ten minutes later the four headed for Earth...

After arriving at the SGC Kiro looked around in confusion as to where they were, John didn't even try to explain that they weren't in Pegasus anymore, because they weren't. Teyla though felt kinda sick at being there, mostly because she had killed a Wraith Hive Queen right there on that very ramp.

Jack stepped forwards towards the President, "sir, may I present Col John Sheppard, his wife Teyla, and their daughter, Kiro. kids, this is President Henery Hayes"

"Sir" John said, Teyla and Kiro merely nodded a hello, taking their cue for John who seemed at odds arounf the President for some reason. "You called us?"

"I did Col Sheppard, I also read over your file as well and I think a premotion is in order for you as well." Hayes said as the group started walking towards the briefing room, "but first off I want to tell you about the stalemate we currently have, the British don't know about the Trust like we do, they only know small things, like those two bright lights in the night sky a few years back"

"Yeah I remember those sir" Jack said.

"And instead of getting court martialed you got hailed as heros, that was worth it." Hayes said.

"So why are we here?" John asked, if he was getting premoted why not do it at Atlantis?

"Well, I need your help, you had the most insight to fly different things while on active duty in the Artic, the Trust know of the base and the Ancient made weapons storehouse area. I need you to go and get a resupply of drone weapons for the only Jumper on Earth, they used the last one against the Trust before our stalemate was setup." Hayes reported

"So what do we do to get these Drones for the Jumper, you need McKay to load them on, he knows mostly everything about the Jumpers, me I only know how to fly them, make them unseen, as well as fire the weapons, but to reload them..." John told him before getting cut off.

"I know what you mean Col, I know which is why I chose you and your family, simply put you have the know how to use such a weapon even without the Jumper, all you need is that chair to reload the Jumper weapon pods." Hayes said.

"Other then that what did you want me here for?" John asked, reminding Hayes of the ten months thing John had been told about.

"Oh that... Jack didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"You are a general now." Hayes said opening a small box on the beriefing room table and taking out the medals and ribbins inside it, "but first off, your rank moves up one to full colonel, then from there, to one star General" haye said handing John the box to look at, "congratulations... General, John Sheppard."


	10. X Feeling a Old Friend

John still couldn't get the thoughts and butterflies out of his head and stomache as he held the ribbon and rank he had been given, It wasn't everyday that somebody in Atlantis made as far as General, heck Jack was now a three star General himself, but he had been on the SGC far longer then John had been even in the service.

"OK Sir, what do you need us to do, and when do we do it?" John asked Hayes.

"Well first off if you would be so kind as to introduce your family I think we can get you three working on the mission sooner then later." The President answered.

"Oh, well, this is my wife Teyla, and our daughter, Kiro." John said introducing his family, "what do you want us to do? Other then reload a Puddlejumpers drone bays?"

"Word from our deep space probes say that there is a ship in orbit of Earth right above the outpost, however nothing has happened thus far as we can tell. The three of you know this type of technoledgy now more then anyone else on the planet so we figure. . ."

". . . Send in a strike team in a cloaked Jumper see what's going on and use the drones there in case something gowes bad." John finished, it figured, he'd never get a bit of vacation time on his homeworld, or anywhere for that matter. "when do we leave?"

"A few minutes ago you were to leave, why are you even still here?" Hayes asked confused. The three headed for the jumper and the surface.

Once inside the jumper Kiro asked, "who was that? What did he give you Father?" She had no idea of the customs on Earth were like, even though she'd been living with the Ancients for so long, then several months to a year with the Dark Wraith on that one planet.

"It's nothing to worry about, just a little something for my rank back at home." John said, knowing that Teyla had spoken with Kiro beforehand about the Atlantis Military and how they ranked themselves. "As to who that man is, he's my commanding officer, so to speak." John then explained as simply as he could to his daughter how the President had command of the Earth based military, to a point.

John wasn't very good at explaining things so he said the simpe stuff he knew about how the Earth military worked, that way his daughter wouldn't get too confused like Teyla did. "To be simple, the presiodent has control over most of the miltary of Earth, so far so good I guess you could say, He can order me aroud, unless i'm offworld where he can't do a thing about it." he then explained what happened when he went back to Atlantis against orders. "Almost got fired from the military for that too."

The jumper soon crossed over the water to the whiteness of Antartica. and sooner still came into view of the installation, thougnone saw the Ori warship far above, nor did the life signs dector on the jumper pick up any soldiers around. As soon as the jumper touched down John opened the weapons pods, the president had been right, the jumper was weaponless.

But as John stood there wondering what to do next the dronee came up from the ground and reloaded themselves into the jumper, So far so good. when that was done Kiro asked if she could go and see the outpost that was deep in the ice, John agreed even though Teyla had a odd feeling of the place.

John though remained in the jumper as Teyla took Kiro into the top level of the installation, not knowing that seven Ori soldiers and one very well known Athosian were down there. John then nodded off, without really thinking of needing sleep, he knew that Teyla needed more then he did, so why bother to stay awake anyway.

Down below Teyla watched as her daughter looked over the Ancient made outpost, it was oddly warm. Teyla even felt it, as if someone had been living there recently. then the lift started back up on its own. 'this can't be good' Teyla thought when shots rang out and Kiro screamed.

Teyla felt something hit her from behind, and when she woke up she found herself no longer inside the outpost under the ice, instead she was inthe small globelike place above the opening. 'Kiro?! oh No!!' Geting up from where she sat she went to find John.

She all but ran into the jumper, "John, wake up! It's Kiro, she's missing!" Teyla yelled into his ears.

"That was my ear Teyla no need to yell so loud..." Then it hit John of what his wife just told him. "Kiro, where, when, how, who?!" he asked grabbing his gun from where he'd set it.

"In the outpost under the ice, I was hit from behind, then woke up, up here." Teyla explained taking her own weapon with her. She knew she didn't have a need to be worried, but then Kiro was always armed, just like Ronon was. But then whomever fired, and knocked her out, made her worry, who were they, and how did they get there before the three man team arrived?

"Lets go." John said leading the way into the first building, something was wrong, but then something always was. "You feel anyone?" John asked Teyla, who nodded, "What do you feel?"

"Someone i haven't felt in a very long time." Teyla said.


	11. XI The name is Sheppard General Sheppard

"Well, then it looks like we are going to find out who it is that you feel." John said going to the lift and starting it up, they headed downwards to the level of the outpost. "looks like this place had been lived in for a while before we got here." John said stepping out of the lift.

Teyla looked around, this time in more of caution then in awe, her daughter was being held prisoner, but by whom she did not know.

"What way?" John asked making a sweep of the entery area. his question couldn't have been timed as staff fire rang out and caught Teyla in the shin. John returned fire as Teyla hit the ground hard. a thud was heard as the one that fired was dead from the hail of fire John let out.

Teyla dragged herself to a over turned table and laid behind it. When the firefight was over a male voice rang out. "One step and she dies!" Teyla peeked over the table and noticed her childhood friend Kanan holding a Ori hand staff to her daughters neck.

"What do you want Kanan?" John asked, not backing down in the least. Teyla just looked on horrified at what her friend had become, he was dressed in the typical Ori captains armor, which all but made him simialr to Kolya, but then this man grew up with Teyla, how could he get to the Ori?

"Simple." Kana said, "I want Teyla. In exchange, you get the girl." He told John.

"No deal. Teyla is my wife, and you have our daughter." John said, he set his finger on the trigger of his P90, Teyla spotted a pair of Ori soldiers trying to get to John from his left, but said nothing as John seemed to sense them coming, and a drone apeared and blasted them apart. Teyla knew she had to do something before it became a bloodbath with their daughters blood.

She stood up, "I am here Kanan" she said, "what do you want me for?"

Kanan smiled "I know you flew the city of Atlantis Teyla, and killed my leader, Adra. So now I want you to help me get off this rock." He said making Kiro move with him as he started to backtrack towards the chair around the corner. "If you would be so kind as to follow me I think we would be fine and dandy about all this"

"Let her go Kanan, nobody is willing to help Earths worst enemy. Not at this time at any rate." John said, things were going down hill fast, and he didn't like it at all. "How did you know that Teyla is the one that flew the city? How do you know it wasn't me?"

"I had help" Kanan said, when he saw that John nor Teyla had moved from their spot he said to them, "Are you coming or not?" John looked to Teyla and she started forwards.

"Just have your men stand down, and we will" John lied, he wanted to get as close as he could for his only shot he would take, the only shot he'd need to finish all this.

Teyla said nothing as she and John entered the first arch and saw Kanan holding Kiro now by the arm with the gun to her ribs in a very eadly location. "Sit on the chair Teyla" he said in a commanding tone of voice. Teyla looked to John, who nodded, _'do as he says, but don't start the weapons'_ she thought to herself as she moved for the chair, there were two Ori soldiers left, and they sttod nearby, their weapons looking more like walking staffs.

So far so good, Kanan had a smile on his face as he took his eyes from John and settled them on Teyla. John saw his chance and fired one shot. catching Kanan squarely in the shoulder bone, shattering it. He screamed and Kiro brought up her foot into his groin, knocking him to the floor she then ran over to where her father stood and looked back to Kana aas Teyla grappled with the soldiers. one of them catching her knife in his neck the third getting shot with his own weapon to the face.

John stood i the doorway as Teyla searched the outpost for more soldiers, shots were heard, a total of four, as four soldiers were found in hiding. John spoke t oKanan who was pulling himself to a keeling position, "how did you get here?"

"I came by way of the ring platrom, stupid Earth human." Kanana muttered he looked at John, who stood in the doorway of the Ancient outpost on Earth, the man had a smoking P90 in his hands, and had shot the former friend of Teyla in the shoulder for him to let his daughter free. Johns face and tone was steady as a rock as he told him, "I say this again Kanan... Never... Touch... My... Family"

Kanan gave John a confused look, "Who are you?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"The name's Sheppard, General Sheppard" John said taking out a grenade and handing it to Teyla, "You know what to do" he told her, she nodded as she took the grenade from John, who then turned and headed for the Jumper, Kiro followed close behind, not looking back as her mother tossed the primed bomb and killed her former friend and ally.

As they were leaving the smoldering remains of Kanan the familar sounds of the Ring Platform reached their ears. John raised his gun as a Ori Prior appeared. Teyla just looked at the bring with a very strange look to her eyes. Kiro seemed to smile, and John just pointed his P90 at the Prior.

Things had really gone down hill.


	12. XII Deathmatch a Mile Below Zero

The three stood watching the Prior, and what he would do, The Prior spoke, "And behold, those that fought against the Word were made low, and their lands given to those of whom it was more worthy." He then looked towards the three. "You are those that fought against the Word, and you shall be made low" The staff lit up and John fired, the shots going wide as he was thrown backwards like a rocket into the side of a arch, out cold. Kiro too was also knocked out when she tried to jump the Prior. Leaving just Teyla standing alone against him.

"What do you want?" Teyla asked the Prior, not yet going for her weapon, she knew she could kill the thing if she had to.

"Those that fight for power and stature, die and their names forgotton, they do not see the light any more." the Prior said. ignoring Teyla's question.

"Why are you here?" Teyla asked him, this was getting on her nerves, even though she'd seen death at the hands of the Wraith, it was different being nagged by one such as this. She'd killed his fellow Priors before, even killed their leader, Adira.

The prior looked at Teyla, his staff begain to glow, Teyla fired one shot from her pistol, blasting the staff apart, the Prior smiled as he drew a longsword from the shattered staff, "And lo, even with the bars of war against it, the gates shall fall, even but for so short a time. Then be made new." The Prior attacked.

Teyla waited until the last second to move, dropping her gun and grabbing at the Priors sword hand. Cutting her arm in the proccess, she and the Prior grappled for the sword, the two of them both kicking and punching at the other as they fought near the Drone weapons bay. From which smoke begain to come out of as if fire had been started far below.

As the pair struggled for the sword their grip on the weapon became weak and slippery because of their blood, strangely the blood never mixed, it was as if the blood fought against the other on the weapon as well. The Prior was then shoved backwards by Teyla. who took off around the corner in search of a weapon as the Prior went after her.

Teyla ducked as the sword slashed a table in two, and broke a chair in half. Teyla grabbed the nearst thing she could to use as a weapon, it ended up being a piece of ice. Ironic as it might seem in hindsight Teyla used the thick shard of ice as a small sword against the Prior.

As the pair fought, ice against metal, a mile under the ground far above, It became clear that this was not just a normal fight to the death. Teyla had drawn the eyes of the Ori, the Ascended Ori, to her when she herself had slain Adira over Earth ten months before. This fight was just a test of theirs, to see if Teyla was truly the Bane of the Ori as told long ago in legend.

Teyla fought against the Prior, using the ice shard as a sword, blocking a strike aimed at her heart, Teyla swung hard and left a icey cut on the Prior's arm, then he in turn also left a cut on her own being, right down the hip. Teyla went to one knee as she blocked the next attack from the sword the Prior used. So far things were OK, sh was still alive, and not dead on the ground yet.

Then it got personal, very personal, as the Prior threw ice towards Teyla, as well as towards her family. Teyla attacked with renewed anger, moving far too fast for anyone to move. The Prior matched her movements with ease. Blocking and parrying each strike made by Teyla. Soon as Teyla managed to lock their weapons together she grabbed the priors hand to get a grip on it, then it was the pair of them holding each other with one hand, and whacking at the other with their weapons.

As they fought the falling ice woke John up. Looking around he found his daughter out cold and half buried in the ice. He started digging her out, "Kiro, come on wake up." he pulled a large slab of ice off her legs, the cold of the ice had made them bright blue, _'oh no'_ John thought seeing the blue coloration to his daughters skin, her pulse was slow. Too slow, things were not going well.

Teyla and the Prior continued to fight, nither of them noticing John getting up, Teyla force a stalemate against the prior, the ice shard holding the sword steady as a rock. Teyla had a look of dark fury in her eyes as her face was set in a mask of steady determination.

She was caught off guard as the Prior grabbed her neck and forced Teyla to the floor, bringing their weapons closer to her neck. At the last minute Teyla kicked the Thing in the rump, knocking him forwards. They had both dropped their weapons, and sparks poured from a cut in the wall nearby, making the smoke all the more choking.

Since he had dropped his weapon the Prior ran at Teyla, ready to clock her with his fist to her jaw, Teyla ducked the blow and brought up her leg, catching the Prior in the stomache, he hit the floor like a sack of apples. She bent down to pick up her weapon, just as the Prior picked up his sword as she brought down her ice on him. The ice met metal once again and Teyla found herself flying towards a wall.

Shaking her head to clear it of the sudden blanket it was given Teyla just barely registred the Prior stabbing his sword at her body. She rolled away fromnthe weapon as it stabbed into the ice of where she used to be, with his weapon stuck Teyla started giving him the works, punches, kicks, stabs, everything.

Then the Prior got his weapon free of the ice, and Teyla found herself against a wall again. the prior stabbed again, catching Teyla in the hip, she screamed, and the Prior smiled. He looked down on her as she grabbed at the metal burning into her. "Tell me, what do you love most... Give me the pleasure of taking you from it."

Teyla grabbed the sword with her hands, already breathing hard from blood loss, she pulled the weapon out of herself, and swung her feet to topple the Prior, grabbing her fallen shard of ice she spoke asshe made her last move, her... Checkmate.

"There is not a thing I don't treasure." she stabbed the Prior through the neck, killing the thing within a nanosecond. Then she too fell to the floor as the Prior burned from within. Teyla laid on the ground, blood pouring from a number of cuts on her body, so far, even her second trip to Earth was not as fun as she had hoped. She blacked out.

John finally managed to wake up Kiro, "Father? what is it? What happened? Ow, my head." Kiro went quiet as John stood up and looked around, best he could see there was a small cave in, "I'm going to go find your mom, soon as you canmeet up with us at the lift." John headed off, the floor was sprinkled with blood, both Teyla's and the Priors own, which was in fact still smoking.

Teyla was in and out of light and darkness, she could only see a thick mist wherever she looked, a gray mist of nothing, a thick fog. She heard someone calling her though, "Teyla!" John said, grabbing his wife and shaking her awake, even though she was cut in many places John didn't care as he shook Teyla awake, "Come on girl don't die on me again!"

Teyla coughed up blood before coughing normally, Her voice was weak, "John,,,,,? Is that you?" She coughed again.

"It's me" John said picking up Teyla into his arms, "Lets go home" he said, Teyla could only smile. The only thing she wanted more then ever now was to jost be in bed with John, and him holding her like he was right then and there. But then, should could wait until they got home...

But then again, could she wait that long?


	13. XIII Survivor of Many Wounds

As John got his wife to the Jumper she was in and out of wakefulness, the sooner he got her to home, the better. John couldn't help but think of how she could still be living after a fight like that. As he flew the jumper into the air he told his daughter, "Keep us level, I'm going to do what I can to keep your mother alive." He then went back to the back part of the jumper and begain to work as best he could.

Teyla felt someone near, even in the blackness of nither death nor life, not knowing what else to do she drifted in the blackness, Like a lost lamb alone in the thick woods, Teyla thought she heard a voice, but who's? Calling her name, the voice sounded familar. Turning to look she spotted a light in the blackness, and started moving towards it. The voice was that of her father. "Teyla, my daughter. You must hold on, you have one that loves you, you have a child of your own, you must stay with them." He said, the light fading.

Teyla tried to stay up with the fading light, "No" she said moving forwards, she was so close, but then the truth was, she was too far, or was she?

John's work paid off, as the Jumper sailed over the east coast of the USA he took back control and radioed down to the SGC, "This is Sheppard, we have injuries, might want to keep the Infirmary open. Get Beckett!" John was worried for his wife. Sometimes even a little bit of blood was OK, but still. Teyla had lost way too much to even be breathing.

"Infirmary is being readied, what happened back there?" Jack asked coming onto the radio, "we didn't get anything from you guys, and couldn't get an answer from the base, why?"

"It's a long story sir, but to make it simple, the Ori were waiting for us with a old friend of Teyla's. They're dead now, though Teyla also fought a Prior as well. The old guy though didn't make it" John said

"What do you mean? Prior guys hanging around on Earth already!" Jack asked.

"Like I said sir, long story." John said, "just have the infirmary ready!"

"Right." the radio went quiet.

Soon as John landed the medics took over, within minutes Teyla was in the Infirmary getting fixed up, John of course was dragged out of the room along with his daughter from Teyla, the pair of them though watched everything from the observation window. John paced as Kiro watched everything, both of them hoping Teyla would live though it.

"Do you think Mother will make it?" Kiro asked looking to John, as he stared right at the face of his wife. Seeing her father like this was not good, if her mother died again, would be too much, an Kiro knew it. "What if she were Ascend again?"

"That's not gonna happen." John said turning away from watching Teyla to look to his daughter, "Not if I can help it." He turned back to watching the medics work on the woman in the bed, She'd been through too much, John was amazed that she was still alive after it all.

Jack showed up, along with Weir and Rodney, "So, how'd it go?" Jack asked with something of a smirk on his face, He caught the look John threw at him, "That bad huh?" John nodded, "Thought so, Which is why I thought some news might cheer you up."

"What do you mean? Teyla's gonna live? You know this this soon?" John asked looking to Jack, then to Weir and Mckay, "Doctor, Mckay" John said seeing them, "tell me you have good news from home that we can get the superbowl live in the gateroom this year?"

"Sadly that is not the case, thought it is a good thought." Weir said, sitting in a chair, "You might want to know about your new ship General." She said, she smiled when she saw the look John threw her way, "I know everything, General O'Niell told me, so did the president."

"Put it on the six oclock news what's going on?" John asked seeming to for get his daughter was right there, only she was watching her mother, like her father was, "What's this news you think'll cheer me up?"

"Michael ring a bell?" Rodney asked.

"What about him? did he go on a crazy crusade again in Pegasus?" John asked.

"Sorta." Rodney said.

"Sorta?" John and Jack asked.

"It is not easy to explain, but the point is, Dear old Mike went back to the Wraith, and he took with him the information of our new ship, The Wraith's Bane. From what we got from both the Daedalus and Apllo, He's getting the Wraith ready for one hell of a war." Rodney said.

"Which is why we need to talk over your new ship and how to fit it in." Weir cut in, "We only have three ships, the Apllo, the Daedalus, and the Wraith's Bane."

"And three ships, means..." John prodded.

"That's bad for a dozen different reasons" Rodney said, "look Mike left us when he got the chance, and he gave the Wraith enough info not to just be let back in to the caste, but also get them to come here. To Earth."

"Like you say Rodney, that's bad for a dozen different reasons. So what do we do? Hide the planet?" John asked leaning on the rail to look towards Weir, Jack and Rodney, "And Elizabeth, call me Sheppard or John, just because i'm a general does not mean new formality around me."

"Well, first thing's first, you need to eat something, and Teyla wont be going anywhere." Jack said, "Yiou both look starved, so what say some food be made ey?" Jack then had to step out of the observation room as Beckett arrived, "any news Doc?"

"Aye, We have Teyla in stable condition, but there is still much work to be done, in the sense that Teyla had gone against a Prior of the Ori and won." Beckett said.

"Cut to the chase doc, when's Teyla gonna be outta here and back with me?" John asked, getting to the point.

"At the rate of work to be done she had bled more then what we have to repair. So, far as I can tell, possibly within the next seven hours she'll be back on her feet ready to fight." Carson said.

"You are sure?" John asked, he didn't want his wfie to die again, there was no way he'd like that to happen.

"Aye, fairly sure, after all she did Ascend, So far all we know she is healing herself." Carson said, "if you'll exsuce me I think i'd better get back to work."

"Yes thanks for the news." John called after him, he looked towards Weir and Rodney, "OK gang, soon as Teyla is on her feet, we take a full tour of my ship."

"That sounds good to me. Rodney?" Weir said looking towards Rodney, who was drawing on a pad of paper, making all sorts of notes in a really crazying langauge that not even John could understand, nor Kiro.

"Hmm? Oh right, soon as Teyla is on her feet and well enough for combat so to speak, I don't see why not." Rodney said almost walking into a doorframe he and his pad were going to be the death of Weir.


	14. XIV How To Get Back At The Wraith p2

Over the course of the afternoon John either stayed within eyeshot of Teyla or had gone to the briefing room having Carson update him every ten minutes, things were set, they just needed to get back at the Wraith for good now, only the best way to do it, well, that still left some work to be done, and the Wraith's Bane still was not yet battle worthy, even though the Furlings that were still wtithin the ship had stated that she indeed was ready for combat in space.

The Wraith's Bane, was built similar to that of the Daedalus, and somewhat larger then the Daedalus itself, in fact the hangar bay itself could possibly fit the Daedalus inside with very little room to spare. The ship had a total of fourteen decks, two of which were reserved for the medical bay, two for sleeping quarters and six for engine areas, the rear of the ship for the six levels for the engines were in fact half of the area for the hangar bay, six floors high and holding three jumpers, and two dozen X-302 fighter craft.

John liked what he saw, but was troubled by the fact that the ship was not yet battle worthy for the attack from the Wraith, the last thing Earth needed after the Ori attack was the Wraith to show up. At least the Furling Drones had done so much extensive work on the ship it carried a air of both grace and, something of power behind it.

Looking out the front winscreen John took in the view of Earth, his wife was done there, slowly healing from the fight with the Prior that morning, it seemed like weeks ago when John watched Teyla fight the guy. It was odd he knew, for a single human to fight such a being, after all, he'd read the mission reports on the topic many times over since he'd been pulled away from Teyla's bedside.

"So, what do you think Sheppard, You think this ship can hold back the Wraith for a time?" Jack asked after a moment of quiet. Jack seemed OK with it, that had to be worth something.

"I like it" John said after a minute of relaxing in the commanders seat, sadly the Furlings had no idea what a Lay-Z-Boy Recliner was, so, John kept his thoughts of how well one of those would be for his chair to himself.

"Not exactly a Lay-Z-Boy but it'll do huh?" Jack said, well, looks like he spoke the unspoken complaint.

"Not exactly a Lay-Z-Boy, but then again even in a Lay-Z-Boy I'd look odd, the Wraith don't even have tables for god sakes." John said.

"I think they like to eat their food standing up Sheppard" Jack said, he knew first hand just like John did of what the Wraith liked to do. "Anyhow what say we test out this lovely mocking bird?"

"I like that idea, what of a crew, one to take my place when I go onto the planet and such, I'm not good at just sitting around, you know that." John said. Then John relized who he was talking to, "Bad example." He said knowing full well that Jack himself hated sitting around doing nothing and getting totally confused.

"Well the crew is taken care of right now, two Asgard, six Furlings, all in the engine area, the rest are human crew members picked out by many of the Air Forces best and brightest." Jack said.

"That's putting them pretty dimm isn't it Sir?" John said wit the hint of a smile on his face. "Anything else on this bird that I should know about?" John asked getting up out of his new seat, already he wanted to sit right back down, but first thing's first.

"Well, there is one thing that I know mcKay will like. tweleve, you heard right, tweleve, ZPMs, two of which power this thing right now." Jack said, "There is also another 14 in reseve right now as well. From what is told to me by Carter is that when the spent ZPMs are ready to over load, they are put into the main engnie core wherein they blow up and give off from what I remember, up to around fifteen or so hours of power."

"Well, I think McKay already knows that" John said remembering his last visit to Earth of which Teyla was nearly killed by Adira. "what else is there?"

"Beaming system, beam weapons, what else, there is a long list you can't expect me to remember it all!" Jack said as the crew started to get onboard. the supplies had begun to be beamed aboard, "And another thing there is a ring platform system going through the whole of the ship, no elevators anymore, they tend to break a lot, we still have stairs though." Jack said as Carter showed up, "hello Carter tell us you got good news we can understand."

Cater shook her head, "Sorry sirs but no, not good news but something you can understand. Two Wraith ships were spotted by the Apllos deep space sensors, they past Midway Station a half hour ago and just dropped out of hyperspace just inside the Milky Way."

"Just two ships?" Jack and John both asked before John relized, "Two Hive Ships, and then the escort ships with them, along with the fighters for each escort and Hive, lots of Wraith. How many weapons does this tweety?" John asked Carter.

"Well, to put it simply sir enough firepower to blow up the third Death Star." Carter said.

"There was only two made as well as the Prototype, Carter." Jack said, "so that is three... isn't it?" He looked over to John who didn't say anything. He'd seen the mocvies and read a few of the books but that was it, at least he didn't try to make his own lightsaber, he knew they weren't real, unlike a certain sientiest he knew.

"Anyhow we know the Wraith are coming, how close are they to actually gettinghere? can we meet them half way?" John asked.

"If you leave now yes, all the weapons and supplies for the crew are onboard just being stowed away now." Carter said.

"What about Teyla?" John asked, Carter sighed, John had asked the utmost question she'd been hoping he wouldn't.

"Still alseep and with Carson right now, Carson said that he'd radio you every hour with a update, and right now from what he can tell he had stopped the bleeding to a few wounds, but not all of them. It's only a matter of time ungil he knows for sure." Carter said.

"OK then, hopefully her sleep will be better then my first battle in this bird. Get the crew in their places, hopefully I wont screw this over like back at al Sui." John said, heading for the bridge, and his seat, as the rest of the crew came aboard and got into their places.

It was time to get back at the Wraith head on.


	15. XV How To Get Back At The Wraith p3

Once the crew was asembled in the ship John spoke, his voice ringing over the PA system, "OK gang, this is my time doing something like this, so hear me out now rather then later, this goes for everybody." John took a drink of water before continuing, "I'm not used to being in this type of rank given this area of command so, lets put it simple. Lets see what this ship can do under stress, but then again, lets wonder if the Wraith can handle us." The crew cheered, then once they had quieted down John said, "Lets blow this popstand and get at those bastards!"

The ship started to move towards te hyperspace point. It wouldn't take long to get to the point where the Wraith would drop out before the final jump to Earth. Just as long as they could get there and keep all the Wraith there until the Apllo and Daedalus arrived.

Within hyperspace John sat in his chair, going over the power readouts for the ship and how she was faring, it responded just like a jumper, heck she even HAD jumpers in the main hangar bay below and behind the Bridge. He was partly amazed that even though Rodney was in the engnie area of the ship overseeing the computers navagation and engnie properties John was surprised he didn't hear him over the radio sounding all happy over all the new toys.

So he radioed him, "Hey Rodney, what's going on in your area?"

The radio called startled him, "What? oh things are going good, not what I'd expect, 12 ZedPMs in one place other then then Atlantis' power room. Kinda neat when you think about it." Rodney sounded a heck of a lot like a boy in a candy store. "What's up?"

"Well, just checking the power readout, looks like this thing has about the same ammount of power as a normal Jumper, maybe even the City itself, but from what I can see, it looks great." John said. "Beckett call you yet?"

"Uh yeah he did, said your radio was off or something," Rodney said.

"Rodney, i'm talking to you, my radio works just fine." John said, then he figured that if Carson couldn't get to him it was because of the ship or his location on it. "Did he say anything worth telling me?" John asked from his seat, already bored out of his mind, heck without any of his Team, Ronon had gone with Lorne on a off owlrd mission in Pegasus somewhere John didn't know where.

"Yeah, Teyla's in Post Op at the SGC and should be waking up soon, said she's all fixed up, but really sleepy, Kiro's with her far as I know." Then Rodney asked, "Why did you name your kid Kiro?"

"We didn't exactly have a choice in the matter Rodney," John said as the Wraiths Bane dropped out of hyperspace, they'd been in it for little under an hour, "OK tell me something Mckay. What is it that is not exactly a planet, but it is not exactly a ship either?"

"You mean they here already?" Rodney asked looking to a screen, the Wraith were indeed there already. "OK shields are at full, what else do we gotta do?" Rodney went over to the engery weapon console.

"Don't fire anything yet, make it look as if we are just dropping out for a minute before jumping again., keep the shields at full power, get the rail guns ready to fire aim for their hangar bays." John said getting into his seat.

Just then the Hives opened fire, raining down o the Wraiths Bane. The shields just barely dropped from the sudden attack of hits. "Open fire, all rail guns open fire. Beam weapons will be a last resort only, Rodney how's the shield holding?"

"Amazingly well compaired to the Daedalus' own shields that first attack." Rodney said, "do a main sitrep and boom, we have nukes ready to launch. Should we fire?"

"No, don't fire the nukes yet, we are gonna need those later against the Ori when we go against them, something tells me that they are really pissed at what Teyla did to their leader." John said watching as the gunfire was traded between the Wraiths Bane and the pair of hive ships.

Suddenly a voice broke in, it was Michael, he appeared on a screen, "Col Sheppard, why do you fight? You know that what we seek is Earth, so why not let us go there?"

"Not gonna happen Mike, you can kiss my butt for all I care!" John said as the gunfire from the Furling made ship tore into the Wraith Hives. "you can kiss my butt. In fact I think you are going to be kissing your own any time know."

"What do you mean? These Hives have better arment yet they do not yet break your systems. Back down and surrender now." Michael said.

"And what, wait to get fed on?" John retorted, "all rail gun fire on the hangar bay areas of the Hive ships" He yelled off screen. the gunfire from the ship against the pair of enemy ships seemed to thicken. Just then Rodney found something.

"Sheppard, your chair is a control chair, we got Drones on this thing!" Rodney sounded like he just had speed.

When Rodney said that John knew it had to be true, no wonder the huge ship responded like a jumper, John thought of starting up the chair, the chair went into the recline setting and John found his targets, "Bye, Mike, nice hating ya" he said as a swarm of Drones poured out of the Drone firing bay at the bottom of the craft. The hives blew up, and Michaels face disappeared from the screens. John brought the seat forward, Just as Rodney entered the bridge, "That's was... fun. What's on your mind Rodney?"

"Just got a radio call from Carson, Teyla's awake, and she uh... wants you. and she seems healthy enough for you to not do any damage if you hug her from what Carson says so it'll be just less then a hour to home so..." Rodney looked and John.

"Lets turn this bird around gang we won the fight!" John said, the huge ship turned on a dime and jumped to hyperspace John was happy, his ship won a battle, much like the Daedalus did, now all they had to ddo was go home, get Teyla, save both Atlantis and Earth from the Ori, again, then go to bed. It was considered normal to John for the daily doings of his job meant nearly getting killed every day.

Back at the SGC Teyla laid in the bed she had been given, well, more or less dumped in. Upon waking up Teyla found herslef with only Kiro standing nearby, "Where am I?" Teyla asked, she had no idea what happened since she blacked out and heard her fathers voice in her dream, or was it a dream?

"Hey mom, good to see you awake." Kiro said, she'd changed into more Earth like clothing, well, if one counted the dasrk green bathrobe as earth like clothing.

"What happened? Where's John?" Teyla asked slowly starting to remember what happened. "On second thought Kiro, don't answer the first question, where's your father?"

The timing could not have been better because John apepared in the doorway, "right here." He said going over to Teyla, grabbing a chair he sat down. "How you feeling?" He had yet to talk to Rodney about the power for the ship being taxed as it was to get back, but then Rodney knew the real reason for haste, to get to Teyla. Nobody asked any questions of why they were going fasyter thren they should have been but then again nobody really cared at the time either.

It was time to rest before the big fight, because just before they blew up the Wraith ships, Michael sent some information and with it he had allowed himself beamed over by McKay before his ship blew. Something was wrong back in Pegasus, the Wraith were gearing up for a war.


	16. XVI Teyla vs Coven of Seven

Within a span of five minutes of getting into Earth orbit again John beamed himself straight to the room wherein Teyla had been placed to sleep peacefully out of all the hubbub in the normal infirmary, so she'd been transported to Rodney's sisters place to rest. For two reasons she'd been sent there.

One, Jeanie Miller had spoken with Rodney and been with Carson when Teyla was at the SGC, turns out her DNA had a mix of both Wraith and Ancient since she had Ascended not more then ten months before. and two, because Carson had been told to keep the SGC Infirmary beds open, and that also included post op.

So John beamed down into Jeanie Millers lving room, much to the surprise of Jeanie, who qwas partly happy to see him but more happy to see her brother. So leaving Rodney with his sister John went upstairs to the guest room, which had been (for the most part) turned into a makeshift Post Op room. (At least the bed was a King) so John simply got ready for bed and joined Teyla in the thing.

About six hours had passed before John woke up to the smell of coffee, and Teyla. without opening his eyes he asked, "what time is it?"

"Well after six in the evening John" Teyla responded, she had recovered to the point of being able to sit upright, but that was really it. For the time being

"What is... erm... was... today?" John asked sleepily.

"Tuesday" Came the answer.

"What did I do on Monday again? Oh yeah I remember now, I shot the sh!t out of two Wraith hives and lived to tell of it" John woke up and for about a full minute he just blinked at Teyla, then he squinted. She didn't Ascend again did she?

Teyla looked at him, confused, "John? Are you alright?"

"I think I need some coffee." John said, making Teyla not just smile, but laugh as well. "Did we have any visitors?" John asked getting out of bed and grabbing what should have been his bathrobe (it was Rodney's but what did he care? Hell what did both men care for that matter?)

"Other then family, no." Teyla said.

"What do you mean other then family?" John asked heading for the door, and upon opening it he was all but tackled by his daughter Kiro wh otook him into a hug. "Whao!" John got out before they both hit the ground with a very loud thud. Thankfully Rodney only called up the stairs to see what was up, and didn't come up. otherwise John would have been both fired and demoted to PFC in the same minute.

John got up and shut the door, "OK now I think Mike told you what was going then? Rodney told me and I didn't want to believe it, what do you guys think?" John grabbed a chair as Kiro perche on the bed, dressed more or less in a Lord of the Rings styled dress and overrobe to blend in on Earth. John made a mental note to thank Jack for showing Kiro the LOTR Trilogy.

"Rodney told me everything, since you were asleep he figured it best to let you snooze" Teyla said, a smile on her face as she remembered the last time Rodney had woken John from a nice sleep too early. "He even said that under pressure your ship held pretty well, it did not act over stressed from the Wraith hives."

"Are you good to get out of bed, you took quite a lot with that Dork back in Antartica." John said rubbing the bruise mark on the back of his head. He still couldn't believe that Teyla used a oversized icicle to kill the guy.

"I'm fine John, I'm ready to go back home, I need some rest, and so do you, like say enough time to get our minds calm and back in order?" Teyla smiled. "besides, don't you think it is time to be back at Atlantis again?"

John was nodding while Teyla was speaking, "true." He said, "I'd take a day behind the controls of a jumper over being here without one any day. Lets go home." John said, Kiro smiled.

"What about me?" She asked, she'd been with Carson, helping with her mother until she was moved to the Millers place.

"You little lady, need to leave this room and get ready to leave, far as I know we can take my own ship home." John then pointed Kiro towards the door so he could get dressed. Kiro smiled, and left the room as Teyla stood up, Teyla was dressed and ready to go already, only if John went in Rodney's bathrobe well... Lets just say that Rodney would need a new one and leave it at that.

Teyla got out of bed and got dressed, then headed for Rodney to let him know they'd be transported up to the Wraiths Bane to head back home. As she neared the room wherein Rodney and his sister were talkling over things she heard Rodney said.

"I think it is time for us to go back home, I got a date tonight." Rodney said.

"Really? Who?" Jeanie asked.

"A real nice lady, named Maffy" Rodney said, he sounded, from what Teyla could tell, really sweet about it. and the fact that Jeanie didn't laugh made it even better. "She's not a Pegasus native though, but she's nice, and get this, she also thinks I'm cute" Rodney sounded rather... odd at that point so Teyla stepped in.

"I hope that I am not interupping anything but, we are almost ready to go to the Wraiths Bane" She said. she noticed Rodney trying to look dignfied but said nothing his way.

"Yes well, I thought that as well, as I... have to get back to work" Rodney said, giving his siter a hug before getting on his radio, "Wraiths Bane this is McKay, ready to beam." Rodney then disappeared from sight.

Teyla then hugged Jeanie, "Thankyou, for allowing me to rest here, you have been very kind."

"Hey, you and John, you are friends of Mer, and therefore Friends of mine, after all, you helped me with a problem, and so I thought to return the favor." Jeanie responded, she like Teyla, and the thought of allowing the Athlosian to rest up in her own home was not something the Earth born sister of a really snarky man could be able to pass up.

A few minutes later John came down "we set to go?" He asked. Teyla nodded, and the three of them, after Kiro had hugged Jeanie, disappeared from Jeanie Millers sight to the Wraiths Bane. Once inside the three then looked out the viewport towards Earth. "Lets get this show on the road. Michael has a bit of news he wants to tell us in the confernce room." John put a finger to Teyla's lips, "Now, I know you want to kill the guy, but trust me, if you try to attack him Lrone is not gonna hesitate to stun you."

Teyla took a breath, then spoke, trying to remain calm, "Very well, but if he so much as makes a move towards Kiro..."

"I know I know, I told Lorne that if mike makes a move towards her he can shoot the bomth of you." John said, "come on lets go, Rendo, get us to Atlantis would ya"

Rendo nodded, "Yes sir" The huge ship then turned on a dime and headed to hyperspace.

John and Teyla, along with a elven clad Kiro entered the confernce room, Michael was already seated, and Lorne was seated as well, with a stunner sitting aimed at the halfbreed. "Lorne" John said whe nhe saw the Major.

"Sir" Lorne responded.

"OK, so, what do you have for us Mike." John said taking his seat at the table, the room had been designed to by like the meeting room at Atlantis, so John sat where he normally would do so, second part of the left side table with his chair all but leaning against the wall.

"There is a planet on the inner edge of the galaxy, on this planet a coven of seven Hives will meet there, each of the seven is a Hive Queen, and each of them have a vandetta against Teyla and your self General." Michael said in response.

"Any idea why?" John asked.

"None, other then they are to meet there to find a way to destory the city of Atlantis, of which you call home." Michael said, "For a time it was my own home, without me knowing it."

"Do you still... resent us, for what we did to you?" Teyla asked, in a calm as she could possibly be, John could tell that she wanted to assult the Wraith seated at the other end of the table.

Michael thought a moment, then shook his head no, "Even though what you made me is not what I was before, I hold noything against you, for you and General Sheppard, have both tried to make a friendship with me. For that I hold nothing against you."

"But what do you want out of this? Bad enough we blew up two hive ships without even breaking a sweat with this ship." Rodney said, "hell i just checked with Major Redos, he says that at the speed we are going, we'll be at Atlantis system wthin twenty four hours. The Daedalus took four days even with the ZedPM loaded into the main drive."

"We know that Rodney, But there is still one thing, Is there any Wraith in the Milky way as of right now? Or did we kill them all?" John asked.

"From what we knew thanks to Michael here, there were only two hives and two escort ships with them, they made no stops towards the ground at all on any of the planets they stopped at, as they were mostly just woods or desert. so." Rodney said.

"So...?" John prodded.

"So, there are no Wraith in the Milky Way, Grandma can die of natural casueses, you happy?" Rodney asked.

"Yep, anything Else Mike?" John asked looking to the Wraith.

"There is only one thing that you should know, that at this speed, taking care of the Coven that are to meet within the hour, if you time it right, the Coven can be destroyed, now. If you wish it." Michael said. John looked thoughtful, so Michael continued, "Think of General Sheppard, seven Hives, one planet of only their Queens, meeting in one place where they can all be destroyed once and for all."

"This Coven, what exactly are they?" Lorne asked.

"The Coven of Seven is a group of Seven different Hive Queens, every five hundred years they meet on a different planet, known only to those in the Hive. the current meeting place in only known as Amnira." Michael said.

"So here's the deal, we go to the planet, one of us beams down, but that one of us has to be able to live past seven Hive Queens, and set off a nuke in the center of the room with a timer that we can remotley set off from up here unless it is fired on." John said.

"The odds of getting the stargate on that highly hot planet going before the nuke even reaches the Stargate itself is highly unlikely to even have a chance even if we beamed them out." Rodney said, he wasn't wanting to kill John's perfect plan, but he wouldn't call it perfect, hell he was in the room at the time.

"Yes but the odds are that if we could remotely set it off from say, space _after_, we beam back the person that went down." John said, Teyla rolled her eyes, she already knew who was going to the planet, why did it have to be her?

"OK we beam them out AFTER the bomb is set up to blow, but who's going?" Rodney asked. Everyones eyes turned towards Teyla. "You sure about this Sheppard?"

"Do you even have to ask that Rodney?" John asked. John looked to Teyla, "You sure you want to do this?" Her slience was all th answer he got when she nodded her head. "OK, Mike where do we drop out of hyper?"

"If you wish to meet with the Coven you will want to stay as hidden as you can, there is not much time." Michael said, watching as Teyla stood up and left, she needed to think.

"Great, Rendos" John said.

"Yes sir?"

"Drop us out of hyper and have Novak ready a Gatebuster mark II nuke" John said, "we got a Wraith party to crash." John stood up from his seat, and left with Teyla. Near the engine area is where John finally found Teyla, she'd left before he did and he assumed she was worried about something. "Teyla, are you OK?"

"I am fine John, but it is that I am unsure of this mission, what if..." Teyla started to say before John placed a finger to her lips.

"Let's not think about that. I trust yiou to do the right thing, I trust you to fight the Wraith better then any of us." John said taking the Athosian into a hug, "If you don't want to do this I fully understand why."

"No John, I will do it." Teyla said, John lifted her face to meet his, and gave her a kiss, for how long the pair stood there, niether of them knew, nor did they care. They were just with each other, in the others arms. and niethier of them wanted to let go...

--

Ten minutes later Teyla was beamed dow nto the planet surface by herself, she felt seven others nearby, all Wraith. The Coven of Seven had begun, Teyla found her way to a open floorboard and looked through the crack and listen, and watched.

The seven were seated around a long table. one of them spoke, "What of Altntis, three of us have tried time and again to storm and take the city, yet each time we have failed. The one named Michael has been a traitor to us."

"Michael is of no concern to us at this time, nor is the City, for we have found and tried, to get to the place called Earth. Yet were were stopped by a single ship. The Hives were totally destroyed by this craft, yet we now know that it did not seem the least bit fazed at our own feeble attacks against it."Another Hive Queen said.

Then one spoke up, and Teyla knew the one that spoke just had to be the leader, It was one that looked a hell of a lot like Mina, the Queen she had killed on the Ori ship. "Even though you say that Michael is now a traitor, he may still be of help to us now. Before his own ship was destroyed he told us of one that could kill when we feed."

"Is that why we are here?" A different Queen asked.

Teyla took in a sharp breath, _they were told of me_ she thought in horror, then she relized that Michael was feeding the Coven of Seven misinformarion about her, as he never said which one that could kill from being fed off of.

"What if this planet is a trap waiting to be sprung?" a Queen asked.

"Because it is, for the ones that set it are us, for there is a ship in orbit over this planet, and our own Hives are engaging it in combat." replied the Leader of the Coven.

Teyla had gotton enough anger pent up in side of her that she grabbed the waiting Wraith that had sunk up behind her and stabbed it in the neck, then tossed the dead body onto the thin floor. the body fell through the floor and landed on the table, dead as a doornail. Teyla shortly followed after.

The Hive Queens snarled and grabbed up weapons and open fire, Teyla dove out of the way of fire and grabed at the nearst Hive Queen, stabbing it in the neck and taking up the weapon, moving fast she kicked at the leader, and stabbed the thing through the head. she then threw a knife and caught a Hive Queen in the chest, to which she hit the ground. with in a minute it was over, and Teyla let the last body fall.

Looking around the seven bodies she made sure each were dead. The radioed John. "I am ready, where is the weapon?" After being told where it had been beamed down she then headed for its location, and while she was working the weapon the Wraiths Bane, against Sheppards orders to stay and get Teyla out, jumped to Hyperspace.

Teyla finished arming the weapon, "Bane this is Teyla do you read me? weapon is set to fire. Wraiths Bane do you copy?" Teyla then relized that the Coven of Seven were right, it was a trap, a trap laid for them. She knew there was a stargate nearby, she just needed to get to it.She took off, leaving behind the remote, The same remote to the nuke that she thought totally useless.

--

John was mad, the instant they were in range he beamed dow nt oAtlantis and paced in the gateroom, waiting for the stargate to open, not knowing tat Teyla was fighting seven Hive Queens at once. "She should be dialing the gate by now" John said.

"For all we know she never got the weapon." Rodney said, also looking to the gate, as if willing it to start up.

"She got the thing, she radioed just before we lost contact in Hyperspace." John said, he stopped and looked at the gate, "You think?"

"Do I think what? Look, You were right, Teyla is the only one that could do this and get back here in time before the nuke got set off." Rodney said.

"What would make you think the nuke was set to go off?" John asked getting in Rodney's face.

"I didn't say that, I'm just saying that it might have been set ioff somehow, like say a stunner blast to it or the like." Rodney said, "I'm not implying that she blew herself up."

"You better not be." John said.

"Look you are in a mood, maybe you need food?" Rodney commented.

Johnnodded, he had yet to even have breakfast. "Yeah, now that you mention it Rodney I'm starving." John said as he started to turn and leave the gateroom floor. Just as the stargate came to life. John twirled around and shouted up to Chuck, "Who is it?"

"I'm reading Teyla's IDC." Chuck said droppingthe shield.

Teyla ran for the stargate for all she was worth. When she finally made it she had no idea that a Wraith soldier had found the remote, and pressed the dreaded red button to set the nuke off. Right when she sent her IDC through the 'gate was when the blast wave reached her, blasting into her like a locomotive on PCP, the fire did't hurt, oddly. She found herself staring at the exploding planet from out in space, she had ascended... again.

In Atlantis the shield dropped, and fire blasted into the room, then died, but...

No Teyla.

John stared, "No, it can't be, Dial it back, now!" He called up to Chuck,

"I can't get a lock." Chuck said. then he tried again, and got a lock, "I got it."

"Send a probe" John said.

A few minutes later his worst fear was proved, Teyla, was gone.


	17. XVII We Used to Dream

_We used to swim the same moonlight waters  
__Oceans away from the wakeful day_

John stood at his balconey and looked out at the clear waters below. he held the hairbrush Red had given him several months before, It used to be Teylas. Now she was gone, again. He remembered everything. Even though he didn;t want to, he did. Turning away from the sunset he set the brush on Teyla's nightstand, which held a picture of him and her together on the night of their wedding. John stared at it, slowly picking it up from the nightstand and holding it in his hands, He bit back a sob as he sat heavliy on the bed. he set t he picture back on the nightstand and laid down, staring at the ceiling, finally drifting off into a fitful sleep.

In Weirs office three people were there, John had left several hours before and was in his room. Rodeny sat in a chair, writing on a tablet PC, trying to figure out a math problem, and Ronon sat in the other chair staring at nothing. Finally Weir broke the silence. "Alright, something went wrong at the planet, the bomb was set off and the coven was destroyed, but Teyla wasn't found, not even in orbit." Weir looked at both men. Who looked towards her when she spoke. "What do we tell John?"

"Nothing, let him sleep it off" Ronon said. Weir looked at him,

Rodney broke in. "That'd be inpossible for him to do, you remember the last time Teyla died? It was all we could do to keep him sane enough to not kill himself."

Ronon snapped back "So what are we gonna do? sit around while Sheppard rots in the room? He hasn't eaten since before Teyla left for the planet." Weir nodded.

"So we have us some trouble then." She said

Rodeny nodded. "Yup, Sheppard is locked in the room and I can't crossover the code to get in, he wired it to not let anything past his own code." Rodney set the computer aside.

"So what do we do?" Weir looked at both men. Ronon said nothing,

"I don't know, give up?" Rodeny said.

"Wouldn't that be what the Wraith want us to do in the first place?" Weir asked.

Rodney nodded, "you have a point." he commented.

"So one of you have to get to John and talk to him, good luck." Weir said.

"Right, yeah. here goes nothing." Rodney said getting up, he and Ronon both left Weirs office. Someone will have to talk to Kiro too.

_My fall will be for you__  
My love will be in you__  
If you be the one to cut me__  
I'll bleed forever_

John woke up to a knocking on his door. Getting up from the bed he looked around. '_Where am I? Oh right, Atlantis without Teyla, great, so its not a dream. Damnit all to hell._' John got up from the bed when the pounding at the door never stopped, and once opened he saw Rodeny, but noone else, "Rodney? What's going on?"

"Good to see you too." Rodney said, "mind if I come in?"

John stood to the side to allow Rodney in before looking down the hall in both directions before sealing his door with Rodney inside. "OK Rodney what is this about?"

"Your current state of life if you want to know" Rodney said looking at John, "Youl ook a wreck, did you try to strangle yourself again?" At Johns odd look Rodney waved a hand "forget I said that."

"You said what?" John said looking at Rodney, "Look, Rodney, don't you have to bother Radek about something, I got a lot of my mind right now."

Rodney took one look at the nightstand, yeah sure Sheppard had a lot on his mind, loosing Teyla and then remembering everything over the past ten months. "You look terrible."

"Rodney, I don't have time for this" John said going to the bed and sitting on it. "I heard it from Weir, from Jack, From everyone, I'm not going to go through it again."

Rodney looked to the door then back to John. "Kiro's worried." He moved to the door. "She's down the hall in guest quarters if you want to talk to her, I guess I'll be going then?" As he spoke Rodney watched John get up from the bed and go to the balconey, Rodeny followed still speaking then made to go before John spoke up in anger.

But instead John said simply. "Don't leave yet." Rodney went and joined Sheppard at the balconey rail and looked towards the sunrise. Sheppard had slept all night long, and just barely so. "I miss Teyla. She was my wife, i lost her once, and I promised myself I'd not lose her again, and look what happens." John said. Rodney only nodded, not saying anything, what could he say? "Everything in my life had been crappy ever since I became Air Force, Coming here I thought that would change and it did. I met a beautiful woman, got married, had one hell of a daughter with the same woman I promised myself I would never lose again." John shook his head. "Now she's gone."

"Yeah, life tends to screw things up for us doesn't it?" Rodney said before shutting up. bad choice of words. But when John said nothing Rodney continued. "I mean think about it, here we are, seven years in Atlantis, going to and from earth every few weeks to a month between trips. You're married to one of the best people I'd ever spoken with before. Not that Maffy is bad mind you. She's lovely...."

"Speaking of Maff Harrisi" John spoke up his eyes on the clouds. "How are things between you and her?"

"Oh, uh... going well I guess" _'Is that all you can think of Rodney?'_ he wondered to himself.

"That's good. Is there a mission today?" John asked

"Last I remember yeah, why?" Rodeny asked as John moved to the bed and picked up something from it. Teyla's hairbrush. "You aren't thinking.... You are thinking" John had started to change. "You mean to go on the mission slated for Lornes Team? You were told to be off duty because of your depression, not to touch weapons until Jack said otherwise, so why go?"

"Rodney, I'm not going because of my depression and wanting to be out of Atlantis, I'm going because I'm going to meet someone we both have spoken too before the last time we lost Teyla." John said putting on his boots, placing a chain on the hairbrush and putting that around his nect under his combat vest. A hand lingered there and for a moment John felt another hand over his own, but shook it off. "Coming?" he asked Rodney who merely nodded.

"Lead the way" Rodney said John opened the door and took off for the gateroom. Without coffee too.

_Scent of the sea before the waking of the world__  
Brings me to thee__  
Into the blue memory_

Teyla woke up in her room. It had been another week without John. Red was nice yes, but John, she wanted him above all else. Leaving her bedroom she moved through the Atlantis of the Ascended plane, looking for Mira, the Ancient woman who had first spoken to her last time. Why did Red get her then and not take her directly to John? _Oh great, it happened again, why am I not with John?_ Teyla wondered seeing where she was, she had Ascended again. But why?

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. "Red!" Teyla called leaving her quarters for a second time to speak with the good man. Why was she there? Red appeared almost instantly wandering dow nthe hall.

"Yes?" Red asked seeming to stagger into view. "Heya Teyla what's up?" he asked seeing her.

"Where am I?" Teyla asked him.

"Oh that's easy" Red said. "You're uh...... you are uhm... you're.... " he said trying to remember what he was going to say. "Boy life with baked brains hurts you know." He said with a grin which made Teyla smile but not laugh. "You're in Atlantis, Miros brought you back here when the bomb went off. She said she'd take you back to the mortal plane but i think she went back on her word again."

That wasn't good. "What? I can't be here, I want to be with John and the Team. My family." teyla said.

"Miros' gonna have trouble coming..." Red said in a singsong voice before he was woman handled. "Gee, say one thing get a slapping from another, say another thing get barbecued."

"I want to go back to the team and my family. you're the only person I can trust here, so you have to help me." Teyla said to him, Red was nodding

"When I heard of people getting grilled that was one thing but this is fully another. But I'll do what I can, i'll even get you your own beating bag if you want." Red said heading off to find Miros but nearly running into another person, a slouched over man at that. "Why if it isn't Groucho Marx!" Red said seeing his old friend.

"Hello Red good to see your strange face among all these familar people." Groucho said sdpotting Teyla "and who might this be?"

"Oh this is Teyla, Teyla this ia good friend of mine," Red said introducing Teyla to Groucho Marx who replied to the good friend comment with.

"No point in getting personal Red, nice tyo meet you madam now if you'll exsuce me I'm off to sweep Miri off my feet!" With that Groucho slouched off at a rapid pace.

"Funny, she's just the person we want to see!" Red said motioning Teyla as he had to run to catch up with Groucho and keep pace with him.

_My fall will be for you__  
My love will be in you__  
If you be the one to cut me__  
I'll bleed forever_

"Remind me again why you're going on this Mission General?" Weir said seeing John appear in full gear ready to go with Lornes team.

"To meet a friend on the other side, we both know him and he and I have to chat." John said, he had told Lorne of the plan, he'd go with the team to the planet, but then dial to another from there. Where he'd talk to Red.

"You do know I'm going to need someone here to cover for you, and Jack is currently playing golf or watching his favorite TV show" Weir said, getting a smile and a raised eyebrow from John. Jack almost always watched The Simpsons whever he could.

"Caldwell can do it" John said, he knew Caldwell was mad when he got passed for promotion. But when he was given the Bane to command when Sheppard was not on it. he seemed ok for being passed for the promotion.

Weir nodded. "Very well, good luck." The team then left through the stargate.

_Into the blue memory_

"Are you sure sir?" Evan Lorne asked General Sheppard, John was still getting used to it. Not much to do as a general.

"I'm positive, I'll be fine, do your recon and head back home." John replied. even though he knew it that he might not come home alive. Little did he know that it would be alive, but in worse shape then he had planned.

They split at the gate. Lorne and his team going one way, John going the other, towards the trees behind the gate. John was just entering the woods when he got Lornes radio call, it took him longer then planned across a whole field it appeared. "Gernal, the place is devoid of life, had there been people here the Wraith got to them before we got here."

"Either that or someone else. Head back home. There's nothing left here." John said.

"Yes sir, we'll contact you in an hour should something come up, also Bane is up above keeping system watch for you so they can lock onto your beacon and beam you to safety." Lorne said.

"Copy that, head home, I'll radio Bane when needed, Sheppard out." John said turning off his radio and headed into the woods, he should have brought a jumper, he would have had strong need of it had he known how far the woods were from the stargate.

_A siren from the deep came to me __  
Sang my name my longing__  
Still I write my songs about that dream of mine__  
Worth everything I may ever be_

"You left him there?" Weir asked. This was rediculous. Lornes Team had gone through the gate, and returned more or less in one piece.

"Yes ma'am, General Sheppard said to go ahead and leave that he'd be fine on his own." Lorne replied.

"John mentioned something of meeting up with an old friend someone we all met once already. I'm thinking one of two people, Laden or Red." Rodney said.

"Its possible of either one, either way General Shppard insisted we come back ot the gate after or recon was done." Evan replied. "There wasn't any Wraith activity on the planet that we could see."

"No Wraith activity, but activity of something. The planet reminds me of Sateda only more sophisticated." Rodney said reading over the mission report. "According to this, there's not much left of anything that was there, looks a bit like Hoff would had they done what the Genii did instead of underground. Some of these pictures show towers in the distance"

"Do you think that planet is like Earth then?" Weir asked.

"No idea." Rodney replied

_The Child will be born again__  
That siren carried him to me__  
First of them true loves__  
Singing on the shoulders of an angel__  
Without care for love n` loss_

"If she can come back." Red started to say before John broke in.

"What do you mean if?" He asked, why was Red saying 'if'? He rarely said it in such a way.

"I said if? When?" Red asked with a impish grin on his face. "Look, John I know how you feel about losing your wife, and it isn't my fault about it either. It was Mira's doing this time around, from what I remember, if barely, Mira was doing it to get Teyla out of danger before the fire came. Instead she went back on her word." His smile slowly faded seeing John glowering at him.

"So can Teyla come back or no?" John asked getting to the point.

"I'll see what I can do, but no promises." Red said.

"Do what you can, I want my wife back." John said.

"Right, until then, relax, I'll take care of everything. To get around Miros words, all it takes is a little know how." Red said smiling poking himself in the head.

"And I know how" John said, also smiling now, maybe he'd be with Teyla sooner then expected.

"Really?" Red asked in his world famolus Clem Kaddidlehopper voice.

"And how." John said whacking Red on the hat. "Go get my wife, and meet me back at Atlantis." John told him getting up from the rock, it wouldn't take them too long to find Teyla now would it?

Red went staggering off. "I know my cue." He said, making John nearly bust a gut laughing. Red was still funny, that was for sure.

_Bring me home or leave me be __  
My love in the dark heart of the nigh__t  
I have lost the path before me__  
The one behind will lead me_

What was that? A ship? No, not one ship, several ships. "Sir we have multiple contacts on radar." Marks said from the navigation station of the Bane. Sheppard had given the ship as a temporary command to Caldwell when he wasn't there. Which had been almost three weeks now.

"How many?" Caldwell asked.

"Seven contacts. at system edge." came the reply.

"Cloak us and move us towards the contacts at half speed until we have visual" Cladwell said. The Bane began moving shifting out of phase with everything around it as the cloak went active. As they neared the ships that appeared to be moving towards the planet that Sheppard was on. As they neared the seven ships they got a look at the things. "Those are ships?"

"Looks like it, they aren't broadcasting an IFF though." Marks replied.

"Get Rush up here." Caldwell said, Nicolas Rush was currently thr only person that knew other technologies other then McKay.

He came running onto the bridge. "What is it Colonel?" He asked before seeing the ships and staring. "I withdraw the question" he said going to the window. "What are those?"

"Ships, we count seven of them." Caldwell said.

"They don't look like ships." Rush said. "If those are ships it is most likely a race of beings beyond us. Hail General Sheppard let him know we have us some visitors, they may be nice."

"I think you spoke too soon" Caldwell said as fighters were launching from the seven ships.

"Sir, multiple contacts are exiting the ships." Marks said.

"All batteries ready to fire." Caldwell said.

"Sir, they're heading to the planet" Marks said.

"Turn us around, contact General Sheppard. he has guests inbound planetside." Caldwell said.

"Get me a channel to Atlantis, they'll need to know what's going on." Rush said.

Caldwell nodded. "Channel's open, have a seat." he pointed at the commanders chair. He watched as the Bane turned on a dime and headed back to the planet as fast as they could.

Rush sat down and contacted Atlantis. "Atlantis this is Dr Rush, come in...."

_Bring me home or leave me be__  
My love in the dark heart of the night__  
I have lost the path before me__  
The one behind will lead me_

"Alright so its settled, Teyla will go back to Sheppard, without any troubles. And I get to go back to bed." Red said with a smiel that made even Miro want to laugh. Teyla standing right there as the Ancient was nodding.

"Indeed it is, Teyla, you may return to John Sheppard, your husband. He is on the planet now, and under attack, you'll have your weapons with you that I took from you when the Wraith planet exploded. You'll have everything."

"I thank you." Teyla said, Miro looked to Groucho who kept making funny faces trying to woo her.

"And you Groucho Marx" she said to him.

He replied, "Yes fruitcake?"

"Dinner, my place, when I get back, you and me, alone" Miro said, that made his heart flutter and Red stare in dumb shock when she said to him next. "And you Red Skelton, I give you a gift, you have stood by Teyla every time she was here with us, and have worked hard to keep her and her family happy. For that I make a request of you, join us on the council"

"Oh well, this is a big offer, is it OK if I think about it?"

"One time offer"

"I thought about it I'm in, when do I start?" Reds voice made everyone laugh.

_Take me, Cure me, Kill me__  
Bring me home__  
Every way. Every day__  
Just another loop in the hangman`s noose_

"Dr Rush what are you saying?" Weir asked. "There's ships sending fighters to the planet? Why? There's nothing there." This made no sense. What would a group be doing sending ships and fighters to a planet?

"They're ships alright, but not the type of ships I'm used to seeing, they look nothing of ships before, if these are ships whoever designed them must have been drunk" Rush replied. He didn't like it either.

"Does Gernal Sheppard know?" Weir asked

"He said to remove the stargate by beaming, but whatever was sent from the ships is already on the planet, they're swarming it with fighters of some kind, we read no lifesigns though." Rush replied "He's on his own until we engage the ships, Caldwell said to keep the fighters in check for time being. And I agree with him."

_Take me, cure me, kill me, bring me home__  
Every way, every day__  
I keep on watching us sleep_

"This is Sheppard, i'm in trouble down here!" John shoute3d inti his radio as two Cylon soldiers spotted him and opened fire, blasting apart a tree and felling it, John dove for cover behind it, taking out his P90 and returning fire. "Bane come in, I'm in trouble!"

"This is Dr Rush, General Shppard, we jost told Atlantis, can you make it to the stargate?" Rush said over Johns radio.

"I'm cut off from the gate, whatever these things are they found the stargate, tell Atlantis to keep the shield running on the stargate at all costs until it shuts down then transport it up to the Bane. I'll be coming home on the Bane." John said getting to his feet and booking it through the woods, the pair of Cylons right on his tail continuing to fire, ripping up trees and a few others things. "Whatever these things are, they aren't friendly!"

John took off up a road and dove headlong into a room and crash into somebody who startled him even more when she kissed him. "John!" It was Teyla

John Stared for a minute, "Teyla," he forgot everything around him, the Bane trying to radio him, the robotic things outside running around looking for him... or rather now them, he cradled her face in his hands close to his own. For a moment more they hugged before Teyla noticed a red dot on the wal behind John.

"John!" She whispered.

"I know, dozens of them everywhere, I have a gift for them though," John was thinking as he held his wife in his arms, his own hands already molding block of C4 in to a ball. "Got any C4 or grenades on you?" Teyla nodded and handed over hwat she had, a half dozen grenades, John took these and combined them all into the little gift ball, along with shattered glass. "When this goes off hopefully it will give off a big bang." Teyla smiled

"Bane this is Sheppard, Beam us up." John said into his radio. There were two of him?

"This is Bane beaming now" A heartbeat later John and Teyla were in the bridge of the Bane, John still held the control to the C4 party ball down on the planet. "Dr Rush." He said seeing the man staring at someone who should have been dead.

"I see you got what you wanted to General, shall we go?" Rush replied giving a nod to Teyla.

"Almost." John replied before pressing the key pad and setting off the charge of the party ball. On the planet where nine Cylons had gathered around the odfd item, a supernova of energy exploded from the center of the C4, in combination with the grenades provded by Teyla, and the shattered glass, it was nearly equal to that of a dead ZedPM going off. Buildings were eaten away by the blast as the sudden intense heat exploded liek a ring, leaving a fifty meter block burned to a crisp, whatever buildings or parks that were there were gone in heartbeats.

"Now we can go" John said with a nod to Marks as Rush got up from the seat, apparently the command and comm systems were all located there. But John said nothing of it as he seemed to know that the ship was brand new. "Lets go home"

_Relive the old sin of Adam and Eve__  
For you and me__  
Forgive the adoring beast_

The Bane then made itself known to the other seven ships, hailfire raked against ther shields which held as the basestars rained fire onto the Bane, which moved cleanly through the fire and returned it in kind, beams of white plasma lanced into the sideso f the basestars, leaving noticable damage and in a few cases setting off secondary explosions,

Butthat wasn't exactly what John wanted, "Aim for the damaged areas with railguns, aim for the episcenter of the collosus with the plasma cannons, use the beam cannons as a last resort. lets see how much it takes ot take these fekers out!" John said from the command station. Rain of fire rammed into the nearest basestars. One of them blowing up as a railgunner got a lucky shot and hit the core.

"We're one for none now, lets keep it that way." John said.

Rush was watching a screen, "The fighters are aiming to attack us."

"Jam their raidos, Marks keep us on this heading, move us to quarter speed. Sheilds?"

"89 percent and recharging at rate pof ten percent a minute, but with the ammount of fire we are taking, they are holding steady at 90 percent." Came the reply.

John nodded and turned back ot the window. "Alright, full stop, pick your targets and never relent fire, beam cannons and drones as last resorts only. have at it ladies and gentlemen!" john said as the Bane slowed to a halt and opened fire in all directions at the six remaining basestars. Fire of death was everywhere.

_Redeem me into childhood__  
Show me myself without the shell__  
Like the advent of May__  
I`ll be there when you say__  
Time to never hold our love_

John watched the battle reply before him on a holographic screen, the bridge was large enough on the Bane to hold a table liek a full size billards table, as a map, which showed either the galaxy of stars everywhere with names of systems scattered over it, or otherwise, pressing a key he watched the third and fourth basestar, the starship wannabe he called it, explode one after the other. leaving two. This was worth watching as the two remaining seemed to recall their fighters and back up.

John had ordred a pair of drones fired on a timer to explode just as the two starlike ships headed to jump to hyperspace, both of the starships exploded inot space trash in a heartbeat. So the battle was won, and easliy so, but John knew it was never going to be that easy.

He felt an hand snake about his waist, it was Teyla, "hey sweetie." he said taking her into a hug and setting his chin on her head as she settled her head against his chest, they were alone on the bridge, John said he wanted time alone to think about this new development, this new group of people very strongly interested in the planet below seemed tio want to keep the place only to flee when the Bane opened a party bag of fun with them.

"I missed you" teyla said as she hugged John.

"Join the club," John said looking down to his wife. "Don't you ever follow my orders to stay out of trouble?" John said with a smile on his face.

"I try to stay out of trouble, but it seems to come regardless" Teyla said as a smile appeared on her face.

"Yes well, lets try to stick with staying within my eyesight instead, focus on one thing at a time you know." His actions about this made Teyla start ot laugh, John knew how to keep a good time, but was lousy with sadness, unless it was his own depression...

The Wraiths Bane drifted through hy[erspace, John said to not bother milking the drive for all it was worth, perfering instead to take their time, they had beaten back the enemy that wanted the planet and made them try to flee. Now all they had to do was file the report.

What they didn't know was that the planet had bene taken before they had arrived, whatever the robotic people were they knew of thep lanets location, and wanted it for some reason.

_My fall will be for you__  
My love will be in you__  
You were the one to cut me__  
So I will bleed forever_


	18. XVIII Plans, plans and more plans

"A new power group?" Weir asked as John arrived in her office on Atlantis, even though he was head miltary commander on the base, she was still in charge. He liked and perfered it that way.

"Looks it, whoever this group is they took M4F-3EE as a base, they aren't human either. Metal things." John replied.

"Walking toasters then?" Rodney said bringing up a subject he thought interesting to say in the least.

"What are you talking about Rodney?" John asked.

"Look its simple, Whever these things are they took over a planet, had fighters, whetver their capital ships are made of never had a chance against the Bane anyway." Rodney said.

"So you're saying this is robitic?" Weir asked.

"Possibley." Came the reply

"Possibley? in what way?" Weir seemd to grill Rodney fgor as much information as she could.

"Whoever those robots were when we arrived there was recent activity there, that was them, they knew of the planet before we got there, the Wraith haven't been there in years, this group we've only seen once, fought against in the Bane and sent fleeing only to die before they could get away." Rodney said.

"So you think this group that is on the planet got word to their other family memebers and said "Bambi's dead" and got reenforcements?" John asked.

"Possible, the point is this grou pisn;t anything we've seen before, we've seen the Replicators, they build ships, but this is nothing like them or the Milky Way replicators much less anything we know off the top of our heads." Rodney replied

"So now what?" John said.

"Whatever this group wants we took, or destoryed," Riodney said typing on a screen, "According the data taken from the Bane as the weapons fire hit the shields, whatever they fired at us was less powerful then a ha'taks plasma cannons. Their ships seem to be made of some strong stuff."

"yeah, thy took most of our weapons fire until we used the furling plasma cannons and asgard beam weapons. Then they went like firecrackers on New Years." John said.

"Exactly this ias a robotic race of people hard ot face on the ground but easy when in space. Consideribnfgthr fact thast nither the Apllo nor the Daedalus are upgraded to that level of technology as the Bane is. heck the Bane has a onboard AI system for navigation" Rodney said

"Which was nice as it erven detected other ships and hyperspace jump pointso f hive ships, which kinda confused me as the sudden notices popping up on the holomap showuing various numbers and such. Things like 'Hyperspace jump detecte4d at point 22.44.10' or something." John remarked.

"Yep, that;s a point in the galaxy, where a hyperspace window had opened." Rodney explained, "the Ai can detect the hyperspace windows opening because the Wraith don't know it. Now another thing the Ai maps everything on on a gred, those numbers would be a point on that grid, the first set of numbers being the xy axis, the next to being the Ze axis, and the last one being its actual location on a map. In this case north south east and wise in relastion to the galactic center,"

"You lost me there Rodney." John said, Rodney shut up

"So what now?" Weir asked also lost in the technobabble.

"We plan on how to take back Pegasus, we got the ship that can do it, nearly nothing in terms of shield power loss." John replied.

"Do it" Weir said.

"Right, what's the plan Rodney?" John asked, just as Radek walked in.

"Simple." Rodney said

"Really?" John and Radek asked at the same time

"Yes, I plan to have a plan when there is time to make one" Rodney said before ducking out of Weirs office as John made to hit him with something.


	19. XIX The Ticking clock

The Ascension War; New Birth  
Chapter 19; Ticking Clocks

"OK so, let me get this straight." John said when he got to Weirs office, Rodney had been trying to tell him about a new plan to try and strike down this new power group with the Bane. Thankfully that ship had the firepower to take on those weird looking ships. "This race is robotical, nothing human whatsoever. How did they know of that planet anyhow? Where did they come from?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out. But for now we can safely assume that whatever was down there is long gone now thanks to that bomb you set off." Rodney replied.

"So now what?" John asked, he didn't like where this was going, with his luck they might as well go park over the planet with the robots living on it as it was.

"We see what they're after, maybe even figure out how to fight them without resorting to the plasma cannons the Furlings gave us." Rodney said, yeah, just his luck, he was ready to go to the Bane anyhow.

"You mean those feline people? We have a few of them onboard the Bane already" Mentioning of those feline people made John thoughtful, maybe this was a good plan after all

"Yes and one of them wants to join the SGC" Rodney said. Well, that was not part of the plan.

"I remember that, Hank said to try over here, no go either huh?" John said, recalling that Hank had turned down the request mostly because the President didn't know enough about the feline people and if they could be trusted.

"Apparently so." Rodney replied, he too had read the report, and had also spoken with the feline in question, a feline woman named Snowmane. Known by her solid white head of hair, not to mention ash white skin or fur or whatever they had that covered their bodies.

"Continue Rodney, What else do we know?" John said, trying to get his mind on the matter at hand rather then focused on a rather beautiful feline woman that was not his wife

"Not very much, this race, like I said, so that means they this race relies on computers for most of their needs." Rodney said.

"Meaning more Replicators, or what?" John asked, now he really disliked this idea. For a while Rodney was doing well on the way to a smooth ride. Then he hit the pothole stretch of the roadway.

"Well, I'd hope not. But the Furlings mentioned something they called OP's, Original Programs." Rodney explained. "Basically these programs can attack the base code for certain things, basically they're weapons against things that rely on computers."

"And we can use them?" John asked, It was two am, and he had yet to go to bed. So at this point he was ready to do just about anything to get the job done. But the clock was ticking, and what they had to figure out was who this new group was, and what they wanted. John was pretty sure that whatever this group wanted, he had blown up. So for all he knew, they wanted him. So how could they fight against a group they knew nothing about? Simple answer, ask Rodney to think up something that involoved using another races base codes. Which John knew would lead to unwanted trouble.

"Well, yes, we can use the programs, as long as there is a compremise." Rodney said, apparently even Weir was able to do so much.

John feared the worst, he was afraid to ask, but he asked anyway. "A compremise?"

"Yes." Rodney replied

"And that would be what exactly?" So far his life had gotten turned upside down, he had gone from major to being a general inside of four years.

"Well, the Furlings said we could use the programs they provide, as long as we let them have one of their race here to run them for us, as they are complex systems, even for the Ancients themselves." Rodney replied. Well, it was not as bad as John thought.

"Weir said yes?"

"Yes, she did."

Well, that was that. "OK, lets move on, when does our guest arrive?"

"She's already on the Bane" Rodney said, he meant Snowmane herself. After Carson had helped get her back on her feet after the Genii battle six months before.

"She? The furlings a she?" John asked.

"Mhm, why? Does that surprise you?" Rodney asked.

"Sort of." John replied, he was thinking of looking for his sunglasses. Either that or asking to go totally blind as to not stray from his wife.

"Thinking of Teyla huh?" Rodney said, sometimes he hit the mark solidly

"Yep" John said, he had a dreamy look to his face. Yeah he was thinking about his wife. "So, who's our feline guest?"

"Well, aside from Teyilia already aboard the Bane, its Snowmane, remember her?" Rodney said.

"You mean the white feline that the Genii had as a prisoner, we took her in, Carson did his medical miracle, that Snowmane?" John said.

"Yup, that Snowmane. Why? Something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong." John said trying to focus his mind that he was married, and that Snowmane was a totally different race compared to his own.

"Sheppard, what is on your mind?" Rodney asked. Something was wrong if John was asking who their Programs user was. Why was he acting this way when it was six months ago when it all went about? Oh well, sometimes it was best to not know.

"Nothing!, Nothing is on my mind." John said, partly true, mostly on his mind was how he was going to explain to Teyla why there was a pair of seven foot tall feline women on the bridge of the Bane. "You say she's already on the ship?"

Rodney nodded, "Yes, Teyilia was showing her around." Ok that was a bad idea, one John didn't want to think about either. But it was too late, he was already thinking about it. "Why?"

"No matter, I was just wondering why she wasn't being shown around here. Tell me about these combat programs, how do they work, will they be trusted enough to put our lives on the line?" John said leaving Weirs office and heading for the controlroom of Stargate Operations. A new team was to arrive. A Starship Team apparently. SS1 they were called. Far as Sheppard knew, it consisted of Teyilia, and three others, and they originated on the Bane.

"Well, according to Snowmane, Maff and Weir, they're worth it because the Asurans avoid that pocket of space." Rodney said.

"Pocket of space?" John asked.

"Basically where the Furlings are from, their solar system consists of thousands upon hundreds of starships, weapon platforms, and otherwise, all in one star system alone at that." Rodney said, "The combat programs they use is also sometimes ingrained into their footsoldiers too. Which are a scary sight." He explained.

John knew firsthand of a Furlings skill in combat, one he was not wanting to test again. He learned that the hard way when he first met Teyilia's friend Snowmane herself six months before. He learned at the time not to scorn a cat, muchless try and hide her food. After all, he reasoned tohimself at the time, a cat, even a female, was just another lady to learn to get used to... as long as it was not intimately.

"So, now what?" John asked, should they head for the Bane, or wait for a few hours until everyone wakes up? John was hoping one or the other, sooner the better. And the sooner he could see Snowmane and tell her he was married.

"I'd say to make a plan of attack. My plan is simple, I want to find out more of these programs the Furlings are letting us use. So, I'll be busy. They're on the Bane with Dr Rush" Rodney said before going off to a computer, typing in his code, which logged him into his mainframe of the city, Leaving John on his own

That boiled it down easy, the clock already started ticking a long time ago. As far as John was concerned, it might have started ticking the instant he was conceived. As far as he cared, it didn't matter much if at all


	20. XX Snowmanes Gambit, part 1

The Ascension War; New Birth  
Chapter 20: Snowmane's Gambit, [part one]

John stared at the pair of feline women. Were they nuts? Go into the heart of their enemies territory and drop off a combat program? "Could you run that by me again?" John asked the pair.

"Sure, to put it simple, the Felinus can get anywhere, even onto Wraith ships, or Asuran held worlds. Do what we need to, then leave as quickly as we came." Teyilia said.

"With the Program, once near a computer terminal or otherwise, even if it is a Wraith or crude Genii machine. The Program can be uploaded and it will run in the background until something important is accessed on the machine, like plans for galaxy wide war or invasion or whatever. Then the program goes into action, first it locks the one accessing the machine out, then it attacks the program in qiestion, rewriting it, or destroying the basecode of the program itself" Snowmane said.

It was a long shot, but the odds, what were the odds. John never was a gambling man, but he just had to know the odds. "What are the odds of you getting in there on your own lonesome, uploading the program, and getting out without being seen by anyone?" The only other person on th Bridge of the Bane was Dr Rush.

"I am not much of a betting man, but I would say the exact odds of such a chance is ten to one." Rush replied calmly. He turned back to what he was working on, the database only gave off so much, and Teyilia had added some of her own information in terms of her race as a whole. It wasn't until the ship was built did those of Earth even meet the Furlings. Though they called themselves Felinus. It amazed Rush about a new race of people.

"OK, so, say you get into this place, place the data then run for it. The data finds something, takes on the program, or whatever, then what happens? Do we know if there is trouble or not?" John asked.

Snowmane nodded. "Yes, when the program is activated in the terminal or accessed from anyone using the terminal in question, we are informed by first location, then time, then what program, and type of action taken to prevent further activities from taking places through the actions set forth." clear and simple no?

Apparently so, for Johns case it was easier said then done. But he had to ask. "Do you know of this race?"

"Other then they are robotical, no, nothing. We've never seen them before." Teyilia replied. What she meant was that she and Snowmane had never met up with one of the Cylons, they were not yet born when the first war happened nearly thirty three thousand years before.

"Well, they know of nuclear weaponry apparently." Rush spoke up after reading over the battle data that he had before him on a screen.

"What do you mean?" John asked. If this new race knew of nuclear weapons, that was, in a word, bad.

"Whatever that race of robots used against us splattered harmlessly on our shields, but whatever they had on them on the ground when you set off the bomb and grenades on the ground, set off a nuclear fallout in one concentrated area." Rush replied. Grenades and C4 did not make that big of a bang did they?

"So you're saying that where I set off the going away gift it set off something else?" John said thoughtfully.

"Most likely the case." Rush replied. Seeing John's look Rush spoke quickly, "I'm not saying that it was a nuclear meltdown that you set off, we all saw the explosion from the Bridge when over the planet before coming back here."

"So whatever they had on them set off a chain reaction?" John surmised.

"Well, according to the sensors the Bane has, no fallout was found. So it's possible that it was a chain reaction and that the fallout, if there was any, was concentrated, and possibly burnt out." Rush replied. He left John stumped, and also apparently left both felines stumped also.

Snowmane spoke up. "Can you run that by us again?"

Rush gave them an odd look. "Whatever it is that those robots use, might be nuclear, the only thing being that even the fallout burnt itself up. So if there was any fallout, it'd be volcanic ash at best."

"So as if a volcano had gone off then." Teyilia said thoughtfully. Even with a simple breathing system, muchless a total spacesuit that those of Terra had to use, a Felinus could fare easier in such places.

"That is what I mean, yes." Rush said. "Basically a volocano had gone off in the space where General Sheppard set off his going away gift. Anything within the blast radius was vaporized in a instant, and whatever those beings carried were also set off, which enhanced the blast circle"

"Also destroying more of those robots and what they carried, possibly even destroying a town or small population center," Snowmane mused. She moved towards the holographic map of the galaxy and had the item zoom in on the planet in question.

"According to the database at Atlantis, and what small piece we have here on the Bane, the planet was uninhabited, nobody lived there, but there was a stargate there. It was a abondoned planet. The place was in ruins as far as we knew." Rush said.

"Unless it was a Genii world." John said. Normally the Genii used planets that were ruined, or in ruins from Wraith attacks or otherwise to hide under ground. Not even the Wraith could find them. Though sometimes they did. But not all the time.

"If it was, it is more or less blown up. And not just from that parting gift either." Snowmane said, the holographic map table showed a realtime map. Apparently that parting gift as she called it left quite a dent on the planet. "The blast, what was it that you set off?"

"A block of C4, handful of grenades. Some broken glass. Why?" John replied.

"That may have been what did it. The robots are metal, but that does not mean that a strong enough explosion could wipe out a two kilometer circle, or globe of similar size of a planet surface." Snowmane said, it must have been something more to tat explosion.

"What do you mean?"

"The planet showes only slight sign of life in the terms of energy like creatures." Teyilia said seeing through infared on the map where John had set up the gift only seconds before it was set off. "It could be possible that the energy itself could have aided the explosion."

"What do you mean?" John and Rush both asked. If someone helped them blow up a new power group. John turned to Rush, "You don't think..."

"... Its possible that they knew the robots where coming beforehand, but why..." Rush said completing the thought

"...help us, it doesn't make any..." John said looking thoughtful, recalling how he had to get Radek to make a program for the Wraith computers to infect them.

"...Sense" Rush concluded, he too recalled the same thing.

John had a odd look in his eyes, "You think..."

"... if it was them we'd have noticed by now..." Rush said shaking his head.

"No no no, think for a minute, if it were possible they'd try it wouldn't they?"

"Try what?" Rodney spoke up as he arrived.

"Tell me you have a plan that makes sense." john said.

"Nope better." Rodney replied.

"What could be better then a plan that make sense?" John asked.

"A plan devised by your wife?" Rodney said.

That got John thinking. "a plan my wife came up with? Lets hear it."

"If Snowmane told you, you heard it. Teyla says to go with it." Rodney said, OK, so, John was outnumbered. Oh well.

"Alright, Operation, Snowmane's Gambit is a go." John said. Now he actually wanted to see what would happen.


	21. XXI Time Keeps On Slippin

The Ascension War; New Birth  
Chapter 21; Fly Like An Eagle...

_Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future _

John entered his quarters, Teyla was waiting for him, "Heya sweetie" he said when he saw her, taking her into a tight hug. He held her a few moments. He seemed tired, as if ready to crash where he stood.

She held him for a few moments. "Is something wrong, John?" She asked him.

"No, nothing wrong, just tired, been overworked." John said, he was telling the truth, mostly, he seemed a bit confused though about this new operation

But he could never get anything past his wife. Nothing. "John." It was the way she said his name that made him tell his mind, and strangely, never get slapped for it. "Tell me."

"I'm not sure if it'll work. Snowmane's working with Rodney now on something, last I saw was Snowmane in Rodney's lab, but no Rodney. It was weird." How could a mission work that required Rodney, work without Rodney? Where had Rodney gone exactly anyhow for that matter.

"It will work." Teyla said softly. John sat down on the sofa in their room, pulling Teyla down to the sofa with him. She landed in his lap, "What makes you think it wont?" She asked hugging him tightly.

"I don't know, " John admitted, He felt the mission was going to be first a waste of time, and worse, a waste of people. "I guess I just have a bad feeling about it." He then said. He couldn't say much more, he was clueless of what else to mention

"You don't trust them?" Them being the Felinus people they had met almost two years before when they came across a seven foot tall feline woman, Teyilia, scrounging around for food on a Genii world. Teyla was the only one of the team at the time who had taken the feline in. Ronon held something of respect for the seven foot tall feline woman. But Teyla became her first friend in Atlantis, possibly her only friend. Possibly her only friend for the first few months, it was not until that mirror incident when the whole team was worried for her life when she went to that other earth.

"I trust you. And if you trust them, So I will too, I just can't help but feel a bad feeling about the mission" John said, it was true, the more he thought on it, the more worse he felt. Maybe a good sleep would be of help. He had a silly look on his face. "C'mere sweetheart I like you." She gave off a yelp and landed in his lap.

_I want to fly like an eagle  
To the sea  
Fly like an eagle  
Let my spirit carry me  
I want to fly like an eagle  
Till I'm free  
Oh, Lord, through the revolution _

"This plan has to work, Minarva, you know that don't you?" Teyilia asked a purple skinned woman, a Night Elf as the race had been called by the Wraith. Distant cousins of another faction.

"Don't worry, all the intelligence we have on the Robotical menace I uploaded personally into that hand device, including Layla's base codec as well." Minarva stood at exactly seven feet thre inches tall. Taller then even Ronon. But somehow, more formidable. She'd never forget that first meeting that she had with the Sedaten. Took nearly three others of her race and nine Felinus to keep Ronon and her from going into an all out fist fight.

"And Snowmane?" Teyilia asked, Snowmane was the main person to help Layla get used to humans again, as it had been a few thousand years or so since the last User had entered the Pattern, the Felinus though have been there many a time. So much that many of their own had transffered there ot live the remainder of their lives.

"She's in the Pattern now, She said something of trying to locate Layla to inform her of the plan." Minarva replied, she held up a ruby like device in one hand, data streamed across it. "It appears she has found Layla. The news is good, Layla will accompany the team as long as Snowmane goes with them."

"Lets hope she wants to do it, otherwise it'll be a dead mission for certain." Teyilia said thoughtfully. She traded looks with the Night Elf woman, "Do you think the Council would like it?"

"Can't say for sure." Minarva replied. "Knowing the council like we do, its possible they might have to vote on it." Minarva hated politics. To the point where she had to figure out a way to survive without having to work to ignore it. Which had her ending up in the most remote space stations, and shipyards. At least until Snowmane was found by those of Atlantis six months before, which was how the Felinus people, Night Elves and felines alike, had learned Atlantis once again flew.

"Then let us hope they vote in our favor." Teyilia said. Yeah, like the Council would gladly vote in favor of going on the mission. Oddly enough the council voted in favor of the mission. Which made Teyilia wonder if the council had some of John Sheppards Beer.

_Feed the babies  
Who don't have enough to eat  
Shoe the children  
With no shoes on their feet  
House the people  
Livin' in the street  
Oh, oh, there's a solution _

John arrived in Rodney's lab, only Rodney was there, unlike the last time when there was nobody in there and the door was sealed by Rodney's personal code. But now only Rodney was in there, he was downloading something to a handheld device. "So, any last words before we go?" John said when he arrived, sure he was a General, but he still liked to go with his team. Besides, it worked best. Everyone still thought him a colonel.

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked, he was multitasking apparently, his radio going off about technobabble that would make Sam wonder what was going on, the computer took in data, and whatever Snowmane had rigged up was depowering as she herself hit the closet door like a Toyota Prius without brakes.

"This mission going to work or not?" John asked putting a hand to the bridge of his nose, this was going to be a long day, for all he cared people hitting closet doors only made things slightly worse. "I think I figured something out about you, Rodney"

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked, his attention focused on the handheld device as a program showed a green bar, fully downloaded.

"I think I am starting to see a pattern in the women you date." John said, earning himself a dark look from Rodney, and if looks could kill the daggers shot at him from Snowmane herself made him smile. When Rodney made to move towards Sheppard John said, "I think I'm going to see my doctor, I'll be back by to get you guys for the mission, if the council agrees"

"They will agree, when they hear that I spoke to the Program in the Pattern myself face to face, even taking Rodney into the Pattern with me to do so. The Council will agree" John just waved off Snowmane as he left, he had little need to get himself emboriled with the affairs of a cat and a human.

John arrived in the medical area shortly there after, "So doc, how's things?" He said to Carson

"Not bad, not too good either. From what I hear of this whole Pattern thing, it might be deadly." Carson replied. He h adn't seen inside the pattern before, so he was just guessing.

"Well, if it is I might need a new doctor." John said. Just as Radek entered, Carson spoke up.

"General Sheppard, allow me to introduce your new doctor." Carson said in a scarasic way. Radek had a 'what?' look on his face

John took it in stride, turning to Radek, apparently lack of sleep was getting to the guy lately. John thrust out his hand, saying "Dr Windbag I presume"

"Well blow me down" Radek said in stride taking John's hand with a confused look to Carson, who just shook his head as if to say, Don't ask. John then fainted to the floor. With John clean out on the floor at his feet, Radek asked, "What was that all about?"

"I knocked him out with a sedative, tomorrows mission and its worries had me up to here with him and his worries" Carson said making a motion to his neck of how fed up he had gotten. "Lets get him onto a bed, it'll taper off soon." The two men lifted John onto a medical bed to sleep off the sedative.

_I want to fly like an eagle  
To the sea  
Fly like an eagle  
Let my spirit carry me  
I want to fly like an eagle  
Till I'm free  
Fly through the revolution _

"So, you actually got your Judges to agree?" John asked as the two Felinus arrived onboard the Bane's bridge. John was starting to think that if the pair did not show up, the plan was off. But apparently the plan was still on. The holographic table flickered to life as the Night

Minarva nodded, Teyilia just held her head in her hands. Seemingly in a daze. "Yes" the Night Elf replied, the purple hued seven foot tall woman had seen many a sleepless night herself and looked ready to collapse where she stood. "The Council voted in favor of the mission when they heard that the combat program wanted to help anyway. There is no telling the word no to a combat ready program.".

"So we're doing the mission?" John pressed for a simple answer.

"Yes." Minarva said at last. "You are doing the mission, Snowmane is going with you." Ok that complicated things, slightly at best. At Johns looked Minarva explained as simple as she could. "The program that will aid you on this mission into a Cylonii held location trusts Snowmane, and has yet to meet with any of you in person."

"And how do we do that?" Do what exactly, was written all over John's face. At Minarva's questioning look John rephrased his question, "How do we meet this Program?" Minarva smiled, seeing a Night Elf smile was a scary thing indeed, the purple skinned woman was the same hight as Teyilia or Snowmane, maybe taller, and just with a pistol on her hip, and a strange looking dagger on her left leg made her scary enough for John to keep his distance as much as possible. Now why was Teyilia facepalming?

Teyilia answered both questions at once, first the unasked question, "Minarva, sit down before you fall down will ya? John, the council wants you and your team to go into the Pattern when the mission is completed to meet the Combat Program, Layla. Until then, Layla will remain in the handheld device used by Rodney."

"And the mission objectives?" Somehow John liked having a step by step objectives list.

"Enter the basestar at the planets surface, download Layla into their datastream, let her do as much damage as she can, then extract her back into the handheld device. Then get out of the basestar before it gets blasted sky high." A simple mission, wait, blasted sky high? John did not like the sound of that...

Oh well, a mission was a mission.

_Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future _

"How long's this gonna take?" John asked, it was already several days to a month since the Bane successfully fended off three basestars, and then some. Now they had gone back to the planet. The team of four moved around the basestar, The team consisted of Teyla, John, Rodney, and Snowmane. The seven foot tall feline woman stalked ahead, she carried a small handheld computer like item. Rodney had his touchscreen computer on his back, the map readout in the handheld that John carried.

"It all depends on where the datanode is located. All basestars have one somewhere," Snowmane said as the four looked about at a three way fork going in four different directions. Rodney looked to his map system at the same time John looked at his.

"There looks to be a dataport about fifty meters from here." Rodney said. "No lifesigns though, are you sure this thing is set to find those, cylon things?" He asked the seven foot tall white furred feline creature. It was hard for Rodney to not keep his eyes off her. Her knoweldge of machinery, and other things made her even more likeable to the Canadian.

"Yes, I had my cousin set it, after all , she spent many a day with them as a prisoner" Snowmane replied, When she had heard that Rodney liked computers and wanted to get into the Felinus machines to 'poke around and see what information about them they could get after a first meeting' had at first made the seven foot tall feline on edge, but when he said he wanted only to see what made them be who they were in terms of technology, and after he mentioned the Asgard, not to mention the Asgard and Felinus made starship, The Wraith's Bane, was under the command of John Sheppard, did she allow Rodney McKay into one of the Felinus machines. Allowing him to not only skim the files of their history, but go even deeper into the Pattern. Rodney had the time of his life.

"Forget the lifesigns and focus, where's the datanode?" John asked to Snowmane, the sooner they found the thing the better. He was on edge and ready to go home. "Forty meters, first door on the... right." Snowmane replied. She still had yet to thank Dr Beckett for his help in healing her after that Genii raid. Thankfully Beckett's drug of revert for the Wraith worked wonders, and stuck, thankfully before the Genii tried to do a Wraith Feeding Sessional.

"Lets go" John said leading the way, he found the door, no enemies so far. The door opened without a sound, "Oh boy." He said after taking one step forwards. "That's the datanode?" He asked poiting towards what looked like a simple boxlike computer screen ontop of something else that looked like a car trunk.

Snowmane shook her head, "No that's just the accessport," she said, she pointed downwards, "That's the datastream itself the node is hooked up to. Once we have the program uploaded to their system, we're in complete control." John just stared, it was three hundred meters straight to the torqurise field down below. That was a long way down. "Lets get this overwith." John said moltioning for Rodney and Snowmane to go towards the datanode while he and Teyla followed, "What is it with these people and hights?" He wondered aloud.

Snowmane went right to the panel and started typing, a moment passed and the top slid open. "We're in." She said, a second later a silent alarm blared and thje lid sealed itself. Snowmane swore in her native langauge before saying, "Catdamnit! The system detected my stolen codec. We can get it, but we need that open and the panel's gone." The panel had gone black, she pointred to the silver accessport the size of a manhole cover.

"I can fix that." Rodney said laying on his back, the catwalk was only two meters at its widest point around the node he slid under the panel and took out a few wires, cossed them, and a moment of sparks, the panel lit back to full life. "That did it, we're in." Snowmane said. She started typing to open the sealed lid of the datanode.

John spotted movement outside what appeared to be a window. "John" Teyla said quietly, He and Teyla got their weapons ready. "I see it too." He said, he called over to the pair at the datanode. "How long is this going to take?"

"Nine minutes." Came the reply of a seven foot tall white feline on too much red bull. "What if we don't have nine minutes?" John pressed, things were going downhill rather fast. "Then we'd have to figure out how to go down three hundred meters to upload the program directly into the datastream, why?" Rodney said working alongside Snowmane to get into the sealed lid.

"'Cause I seriously doubt that we have nine minutes." John replied. What seemed to be dozens of hundreds of Cylons were seen 'outside' the room, as if a glass wall had been set up out of nowhere. Rodney would have fainted if it weren't for the seven foot tall Feline woman who's tail he had a iron grip on."My God" Rodney said quietly at the sight of all the metal heartless steel machines moving towards them, climing upwards. "They're going to..." He started to say before glass shattered and dozens of Cylons fell upon them from dozens of meters above.

"Time to go!" John shouted opening fire, two Cylons exploded in midair. Teyla kept the door clear. Dozens of the things fell from above. As more climbed upwards. "Doors open people lets go! Rodney! Snowmane lets move it!"Snowmane went back to typing into the panel, until one of the Cylons fired at it, making explode, "That's it! No more nice cat!" She went crazy, she grabbed upwards, "Get away, you bother me!" She hissed as she shoved the robot off the side, unslinging her pistol, she fired shots of what appeared to be pink colored energy, they lanced into her enemies. Two more fell. "Rodney! I have an idea, open that lid!"

"I can't the thing is fried." Rodney said, taking out his pistol and opening fire on the nearest Cylon, it fell with a single shot to the head. "Hook up the hand deivce!" Snowmane shrieked as she shot down another Cylon, John headed closer to his wife. "When you have your hand device hooked up you can access the main datastream!" She shouted over the gunfire. "Access the datastream? Its 300 meters down! How can I access it from uphere?" Rodney yelled back, he then saw her plan, with John and Teyla providing a clear way to the door, and Snowmane provding him enough cover, they could make it. He hoped. "Good plan, cover me!" Rodney slid away his gun and withdrew the hand deivce that held the combat program, labled as Layla. How Teyilia was able to get the program to agree to doing the attack was beyond Rodney. All that mattered was getting the Program loaded into the Cylon's systems.

With gunfire and laserfire only inches from him he dropped to the ground and shimmed under the datanode, he hooked up his hand device, a minute passed and he was seeing the words used by the Cylons scrolling past his eyes, he typed a few commands, a minute more and he'd be in. "I'm in! Whoa!" He yelled when a lasershot got too close, he could feel the heat against his leg. "There's a human down here!" he yelled to Snowmane.

"Tell that to them!" Snowmane said, she fired some more. Rodney typed one more command, Layla was uploaded, the words on his hand device said simply 'I'm in' He smiled, perfect, he typed a few words into the touch screen, Layal replied 'I can handle things from here, Let me infect the mainstream first, it'll go red momentarliy.' A few seconds later words scrolled across the screen, 'Eject me.' The bluegreen datastream had changed from blue green to dark nearly blood red, "Its time to go guys, what we wanted to do is done, can we go now?"

"Good plan!" John yelled, he threw a grenade, the thing went off, opening a door for them to get out. "Doors open lets go!" The group took off, leaving the boiling energy of the datastream behind them. The group took a hard right then had to dive behind cover as gunfire exploded all around them. "Rodney, give me your combat knife" John said, he took a mirror out of his pocket. Learning on the job helped. Rodney handed over his knife. John hooked the mirror onto the blade tip and leaned it out the corner a bit. "Looks like two G43's, a 88, and a pair of 32s" He said.

Rodney pretty much knew what that meant, but Snowmane beat him to it. "It's a Catdamned firing squad." She growled. Clearly iritated at these robot creatures. "Can you give me some covering fire so I can get close to them to do some damage." She said, John nodded, she got into a running stance, ready to take off like a rocket. "On three, Ready ?" John asked, Snowmane nodded, John took his weapon, he'd have to be fast. He failed to notice Rodney typing into his hand device to Layla about something. "One, two, three! Move!" He didn't have to say it twice, Snowmane was around the corner, shooting, rolling and running. All but climing the walls as she got closer to the robot creations. After a moment of yelling and shooting, Snowmane called out. "Clear"

"Why don't we just go ahead and hand out blindfolds, Sheppard?" Rodney retorted seeing the carnage that Snowmane had done, she was holding her side, apparently one of them had gotten in a hit. Rodney noticed the wound, "You're hit." "Yeah, one of them got me, I'll be fine though, if Layla did as programmed to, we need to get out of here as fast as we can. Lets go." Gunfire erupted as she spoke, forcing her to duke back around the corner next to Rodney, "Don't they ever give us a break?" She asked to Rodney.

"That isn't Cylons, that's Lorne's team!" John said, Teyla nodded, yeah, that sounded like P90s, not rockets. "What is he doing here?" None could answer before the door blew open and Lorne's voice called through, "Thunder!" John smiled. "Flash." He said, Lorne lowered his weapon and entered the hallway the team found themselves in. "Nice of you to show up. What kept you?" John had a snarky look on his face, it was all Snowmane could do to keep from laughing.

"Dr Weir said you'd need backup. Told us to wait half a day then come after you. Glad we did, otherwise you'd have been blasted to bits on your way out." Lorne replied. "Good to have the company Lorne, shall we get going, we need a medic." John said. "I'll be fine" Snowmane growled. The last thing she wanted was to see a medic, unless it was Carson. "You sure?" Snowmane nodded stiffly as Rodney wrapped her arm with the provided bandage from one of Lornes teammates. "Lets get going while the getting's good." John said, "Lorne, lead the way."

Lorne nodded, "This way ladies and gentlemen, easier way out of here is to simply follow the bodies." He said with a hint of humor, only Snowmane smiled. The trek out was not as easy as it appeared, Cylonii had found their location and had begun trying to cut off other routes of escape. Thankfully enough they had made it to the open air, Lorne got on his radio, "Dr Rush this is Lorne, We've located General Sheppard and his team, ready for beam out."

"Copy that Colonel, beaming you in five." Came Rush's voice, a few seconds passed at the two teams beamed away to the Bane's bridge. Just as a group of six Cylonii appeared and fired their weapons at the spot where both teams had once stood. Out in space the Bane left its place in orbit of the planet as the lone basestar's main engines went critical, the planet was doubtlessly cracked when the explosion happened, sending volcanic ash into the air that soon shrouded the planet.

"Lets head for a unknown planet and use the gate to get home. I got a mission report to write up." John said as he entered the bridge of the Bane as it traveled through hyperspace. The ship did an amazing job in keeping off the enemy fighters a few weeks before when they first encountered the strange robotical creatures.

"Right, mission reports, why did you have to remind me that I love writing those?" Rodney said in a snarky tone of voice that made John simply point in his direction and ask.

"Why... do I not believe you?" Rodney didn't answer. John took his seat at the bridge. "Remind me to give Lorne a pay bouns on showing up rather right on time."

"Yeah sure, why not?' Rodney said going to the massive holographic map and started looking for a planet to use to dial to Atlantis. The only thing he found was a random spacegate near to a binary system. John went with it and had the Bane head in that direction, Wraith core to be visited for sure. As the spacegate was in a Wraith breeding area. Rodney found the proper address and headed to the gateroom one level below the bridge.

_I want to fly like an eagle  
To the sea  
Fly like an eagle  
Let my spirit carry me  
I want to fly like an eagle  
Till I'm free  
Fly through the revolution_

The gate shut down, Weir came down the steps from the control room. "Sheppard, did it work?" She called out seeing that the four that arrived were Teyla, John, Rodney and Snowmane. But why had they come through the gate and not on the Bane? "Yeah, it worked. Rodney'll tell you about it" John said trying to catch his breath. As if they had been running.

The first words out of Rodney's mouth were, "Next time I want to go into a pattern that is _not_ Felinus made, someone stun me!" He said, "Whooo, what a trip." He looked back at the now off gate. Yeah, if nearly killing his own team was a good plan, at least it got them out of there.

"Be happy that Snowmane kept you from going into a non felinus database." John retorted. What a mission, they had succeeded in getting the combat program onboard the Basestar, but what good did it do? Dr Weir looked at Rodney, "Did you?" She started to ask. Rodney shook his head no, thankfully he had not gone that far.

"If it weren't for Lornes timely arrival I'd have gone in." Rodney said, and he would have, but thankfully he did not have such a need to go, Lorne had arrived in time.

John spoke up, "I seriously doubt their data systems, if they had any, are anything like the Pattern the Furlings use" The glare thrown at him from Rodney for getting the race name dead wrong made him shut up for just a heeartbeat before saying to Weir, "Mission, so far, accomplished. I'm going to bed. Wake me up if anything bad happens or if we hear anything from the Bane"

John left, Weir turned to Rodney, "What happened, I take it the mission was a success?" She asked him, hearing only bits and pieces from radio broadcasts. Whatever the robotical creatures were, they sure put a crack into their homeworld.

"Well, as far as we know, the place is destroyed, as was the original plan of attack." Rodney said, he took out his laptop, showing their mission objectives as all in the clear and marked as completed. "As far as I know, Lalya did her thing, infected several key systems and caused the nuclear plasma drive of the starship, if that was what the thing even was. To go critical. We managed to get out of the system before the planet core went supernova. As far as we knoe even the planet is gone." He sighed

"Mission accomplished then?" Weir pressed, she saw how Rodney acted around Snowmane, who was now being tended to by Carson as she sat on the floor, her back up against a small pillar near the control room stairs. Rodney nodded.

"Yeah, but not without injuries though, Snowmane took a hit to the arm and shoulder pretty bad." Rodney said as Carson did a fast once o ver for the wound. Weir could see the concern Rodney had for the Feline woman. "as far as we know, at least until Snowmane or Teyilia enter the Pattern, Layla did her side of the mission. Nothing followed us on the Bane to where he gated from." Weir nodded.

"Good, a mission finished, until further notice, I want you to take some time off and try to relax." Weir said to Rodney, who just nodded, it was hard to relax in Pegasus, but he did not voice that thought as he took a coke from a nearby airman who held out the drink to him, draining it before he knew what he just drank. Rodney and coca cola was a bad thing. A very bad thing.

_Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'  
Into the future_


	22. XXII Data Please Jim

Asciension War II  
Chapter 22; Data Please Jim...

The door to Rodney's office slid open, Weir stepped in, Rodney and Radek were going over the data that the Bane collected before the planet went supernova, so far everything was worthwhile and looked promising. "So, any news?" Weir asked when she came close, Rodney was conffering with Radek, nearby Snowmane snoozed on the cot that Rodney had kept in his office area.

Rodney nodded, "yup" He replied, he pointed at the screen, "according this, and what Lalya was able to implant and also retrive into her data system so easliy before infecting the basestars power grid that made the thing go bang like a solar system. Don't say anything, Radek." Rodney said giving a pointed look towards his current in house friend, that wasn't dead yet and also hated weapons and was also good at making nukes. "Anyway, the data shows that not only were these things planning an invasion, but they weren't expecting us on the planet in question."

Weir just gave him a curious look, as if asking what he meant, Radek spoke up "They go system by system, unlike the Wraith this group, called Cylonii, attack a system for its resources, then move on, as they move on they make more of themsevles and alslo make more ships and otherwise. They pretty much burn out a planet then move on once the planet is nothing but dirt and polluted water"

"So these things were heading here?" Weir asked, there was serious work to be done, so far only one basestar was destroyed and Todd reported the other two moving through a starsystem destroying everything green and iusing the green for energy, litterally taking green energy for face value.

"We don;t know for sure yet, but according to the information Layla was able to gather the direct course of these things would have taken them to where we once were before we moved to M39-PX4." Rodney replied.

"Are we in their line of sight or no?" Weir pressed.

"According to the data, now we are, they know we're a force to be reconed with due to the fact that we took on three of their basestars and barely took a dent to the shields. The fact we took them down so well when we arrived on their basestar on that one planet." Rodney sighed, They had bought some time though.

At Weir's look Radek spoke up, "Whatever this race is does not know about the stargates, if they did then the teams would have to use their lightsabers they all made a few years ago quite extensively*****." How thos things worked so well was beyond both Rodney and Radek. However they all had one, even Weir did, but they never took the things to earth.

"Well, if that is the case we'd better alert all personell of the coming danger and to keep vigilant as possible." Weir said, if these Cylonii were targeting planets on a system by system basis, that was a bad thing. A very bad thing.

"Right, in the meantime I think I'll work on finding out more about this new race of beings." If Rodney could find more out about these Cylonii, that would be most helpful to the Atlantis crew as a whole. Rodney then turned and left the briefing room to get to work. Weir hoped things would end like a storybook for some reason or another. But it appeared otherwise now. Another battle, when was it going to end? It didn't matter, what mattered was what to do about this new enemy, it was unlike anything the Atlantis crew has so far met in Pegasus. At least they had one battle under their belts as won. Even though the planet was fried to a burnt crisp.

*****see the short story Lightsabers in Random Fun Stuffs written by me for more information


End file.
